Established in 2008, Waterloo Tea has two distinct arms - Teahouses and Wholesale.
Teahouses
Our original store was founded in 2008, and was named Waterloo Gardens Teahouse - an idyllic setting in the suburb of Penylan. We quickly became recognised on a national level after winning Best Cafe in the UK in 2009 (This involved three unannounced visits by industry judges) as well as featuring in 'Top 10 lists' in respected magazines and newspapers.
We now have five stores which you can explore here.
Our ethos for the teahouses is creating a space which embeds into the community - in terms of aesthetic, furniture and offer. We draw on local teams to design and build our stores, with this emphasis on local running through to our suppliers.
We have never wanted to become a 'me too' business, and instead have focused on raising the bar with respect to various facets within our industry - whether this be on allergens and dietary requirements, our range of teas, or our attention to detail on coffee. Each of the teahouses has chef led kitchens, offering breakfast, lunch and brunch using locally sourced ingredients. Our cakes are baked according to our own recipes and encompass vegan, dairy free and gluten free options.
Supporting the arts is also core to what we do at Waterloo Tea. Monthly revolving solo art exhibitions have showcased both first time exhibitors as well as internationally renowned artists. We charge a low rate of commission (30%) with two-thirds of this being donated to the artists charity of choice.
When you visit we hope you appreciate the detail that we focus on behind the scenes as well as the ambience of the spaces - knowing that as much as possible we will create the setting and products to fit in with your requirements.
Not generic, but tailored.
Not monolithic, but individual.
Not run of the mill products, but exceptional in terms of sourcing and preparation.
Wholesale Tea
We aim to bring over the best of each harvest from Asia so that we can offer the best of each origin and processing style. Our focus is on small farms with growers who cultivate their crops with the attention to detail that matches our outlook. Most of our teas are organic (although we don't currently label them as such, but will be accredited soon) and are from businesses who adhere to ethical standards such as Fair Trade, Ethical Tea Partnership and child labour policies.
We import from India, China, Japan and Sri Lanka as our main origins, with teas also coming from Taiwan and Indonesia.
Our approach has been to import large volumes of high quality teas, and it is this that sets us apart from others. This allows us not only to supply our teahouses but to have large enough quantities to be able to pass on the teas to businesses that share our passion for specialty - whether they be a one venue independents or large distributors. Nothing makes us as happy as sharing our teas with others, and introducing them into our world.
Our teas can be seen in Cardiff, Bristol, London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, Budapest, Amsterdam and Berlin.
We are also proud to have worked with organisations such as TEDTalks and The Do Lectures - helping fuel their incredible events.