A bubble tea shop called Mai Tea is set to open in Knaresborough market place next month.
Bubble tea, also known as boba, a Taiwanese variation of tea made by blending tea with milk, fruit and fruit juice and adding tapioca pearls.
The drink comes in many variations, flavours and colours and brings a new texture to tea with tapioca, edible translucent balls.
Bubble tea has been popular since the 80s but has seen a recent resurgence thanks to GenZ culture with the phrase bubble tea having almost 200k likes on TikTok.
Owner, Shun Wang, said:
“Knaresborough is an ideal location for a bubble tea shop since there’s currently none in the vicinity, and I think the residents would appreciate the novelty, especially with the abundance of coffee shops in the area.”
Ms Wang is originally from Guangzhou, China and now lives in Harrogate. When she arrived 24 years ago, she had dreams to open a bubble tea store. With growing interest in bubble tea, she has decided it would be the perfect time to open the store.
She began cooking and baking when she came to England which allowed her “to bond with people and bring joy to not only me but others”.
She now hopes this joy will be shared with Knaresborough through her store. She said:
“The inspiration for bubble tea stemmed from our family’s love for it. I have two adolescent daughters who, along with most of their friends, have a strong affection for bubble tea. I am confident that my business will primarily attract the younger generation, offering a fresh spot for the community to explore and, hopefully, relish. I aspire for the place to be a comfortable and safe environment.”
Ms Wang added that she wants to provide a welcoming place for young people, not only her customers but for employees to.
“I believe as long as you work conscientiously and responsibly, they deserve to get as much as an adult wage. We hope to provide a happy and harmonious working environment for young people.”
She said the store will offer “an extensive selection of flavours, including customisable options”, adding:
“I plan to share my authentic Chinese bubble waffle recipe, hoping others will enjoy it as much as my family does.
“I think bubble tea is often overlooked despite its diverse array of flavours and benefits.”
The average cost of bubble tea and waffles at Mai Tea is expected to be around £5.
Ms Wang said she was initially anxious about opening the store but after seeing positive feedback on local Facebook groups her “excitement has soared”.
Bubble tea facts:
- The boba balls are made of tapioca
- Each tapioca ball has 5 to 14 calories
- It can also be called pearl tea, bubble milk tea, tapioca tea and boba
- The tea can be made by mixing and matching a variety of over 100 ingredients
