Mei Tea – Local Business Spotlight

Mei Tea is a stylish new addition to King’s Lynn’s vibrant scene, opening just 3 months ago. Mei Tea offers an exciting range of bubble tea flavours and styles, brewing their own tea in-house to ensure freshness and quality. Some of the customers’ favourites include Brown Sugar Milk Tea, Thai Milk Tea, Chocolate Milk Tea, Lemon Black Tea and Matcha Bubble Tea. We were fortunate enough to catch up with the owner of Mei Tea to find out more about the business.

 

 

1. We want to know a brief history of how long you’ve been running your business, where the idea came from and how you got into doing what you’re doing?

We’ve been in business for about three months now. The process of setting everything set up, including all the necessary applications, took some time. The idea for the shop had been in the works for about a year because we noticed there wasn’t a bubble tea place available in King’s Lynn. Since we’re passionate about bubble tea, we thought it would be a unique addition to the town.

Initially, we considered starting with a bubble tea truck and traveling around, but when this building became available, we knew it was the perfect spot to set up shop. So here we are, excited to bring bubble tea to King’s Lynn!

 

 

2. Where did Bubble Tea come from, how do you make it? 

Bubble tea is often misunderstood, with many people thinking it originates from Korea. However, it actually comes from Taiwan, with Korea adding its own twist by incorporating ice cream. We start with the basics, making traditional bubble tea but we do it the right way: every morning, I personally cook all the boboa (tapioca pearls), which are made from starch, taking about two hours for the whole process. We brew our tea in-house to guarantee the highest quality, and our boba pearls are slightly larger for a chewier texture. While traditional bubble tea relies solely on brown sugar, we’ve expanded our menu with a wide variety of exciting new flavours. Check our Mei Tea’s range of flavours here. 

 

 

3.  What’s your favourite flavour of Bubble Tea? And do you have a vegan range? 

I’m a bit of a tricky customer because I’m vegan, but the good news is that we cater to a wide range of dietary needs, including vegan and lactose-intolerant customers. My favourite bubble tea flavours are from our fruit tea range, and I also love our milk tea options made with oat milk or soy milk. We even have a vegan creamer that we use as the base for our milk teas. So there’s something for everyone, no matter your dietary preferences!

 

4. What sets you apart from other business in King’s Lynn and makes you special?

We’re the first to bring bubble tea to the town! While bubble tea has been popular in bigger cities like Norwich, London, and Cambridge, it had never been available in King’s Lynn – until now! It’s nerve-wracking to be the pioneers, but also incredibly exciting to introduce something new. Our customers range from young to elderly, all curious about bubble tea and eager to explore our variety of flavours. It’s eye-opening to see such a diverse group of people wanting to try something different, and it’s a fantastic feeling to add a unique experience to King’s Lynn’s food and drink scene.

 

 

5. Do you have any offers on at the moment or any promotions coming up? 

We’ve just launched a brand-new reward scheme, and we’re still getting our feet wet. At this stage, we’re focused on gathering feedback from our customers to understand what they like and what they don’t, so we can offer them the best experience possible. As we move into the warmer spring and summer months, we have exciting plans in the works, like bubble tea ice creams and slushies.

You can sign up for our loyalty program on our website here to access special offers like “spend £30, get £5 back,” or you can sign up at our kiosk at the shop on the high street. Lots of great deals are coming your way!

 

 

6. What does the future look like for you?

We’re in the process of learning what our customers really enjoy! It’s been fantastic to have people suggest their own flavour ideas, and sometimes we’re like, “Wow, we should definitely try that!” It’s all about experimenting to find the perfect menu. We’re excited to see how we can continue to grow with our new bubble tea venture. We’re eager to keep expanding and trying new things as we build our bubble tea community here in King’s Lynn.

 

7. On a less business-related note, if you could create a new flavour of ice cream, what would it be?

If I could create a new flavour of ice cream, I’d definitely go for something with an oriental Asian twist. Matcha is already a popular flavour here, but I’d love to introduce other traditional tastes like red bean or black sesame. If we get the chance to make our own ice cream, I’d be thrilled to see how our customers react to these unique flavours. It’d be great to have people try them and let us know what they think!

 

8. Tea or Coffee? Cat or Dog? Takeaway or Eat Out?

Green Tea, Dog (I have a German Shepherd and a Labrador!) and Eat Out.

 

Try Mei Tea our for yourself! 

Stop by and discover your new favourite bubble tea spot, located on 6A Norfolk Street. Which flavour would you choose?

 

*Images from This is Fuller