“I don’t even know what I’m in line for, but I saw all these people,” says a woman in the queue for a new Manchester city centre cafe that’s attracted huge crowds since opening its doors on Piccadilly Gardens last weekend.
I dart her a long, quizzical look, but feel like I can’t really judge her because this is my third attempt at reviewing HEYTEA, the Chinese tea chain which made its debut in the city last weekend.
When I first came across it last Saturday, I also didn’t know what I was getting myself into. The chain, which has more than 1,000 stores in China, several Singapore stores, and a selection of international outposts, is known for its signature cheese tea range, a cold tea topped with a foamy layer of milk, sweet or salt cream cheese and whipping cream. READ MORE: Manchester institution reopens as Irish bar with live music, cheap pints and £2 cocktails Also known as milk cap tea or cheese mousse tea, it’s just one of several beverages they serve alongside bubble, fruit and other milk-based tea options.
Fruit and bubble tea choices have boomed in recent years and having tried my first bubble tea - also known as boba - at A Nice Sip in the Arndale last summer, I’ve fully jumped on the boba tea bandwagon.
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