Leith Walk is set to get a new independent business joining its ranks as a duo of renowned Edinburgh tea blenders look set to open a 'tea studio' on the street this summer.
After eleven years, Esther Kungu-Cooper and Jon Cooper are moving PekoeTea from its Leven Street store in Bruntsfield to a new base on the city’s Leith Walk.
The specially designed PekoeTea Studio will offer a space for customers to taste and browse the extensive range of teas; as well as the opportunity for private blending experiences and events that help share the team’s knowledge and love of teas from across the world.
The new store will also be double the size of the existing Bruntsfield shop.
Co-owner, Esther said: “We’re delighted to announce this move. Over the last few years, PekoeTea has been consistently recognised for its knowledge and stand-out tea blends.
"Our new Tea Studio is more than double the size of our existing store and will allow our customers to attend special events and taste more teas than ever before. With Covid 19 there has been a big move away from traditional retail and our new studio allows us to further enhance our digital presence, ensuring that our brand is recognised further afield.
"In a curious coincidence, the new studio is just a few doors down from what was originally a Melrose tea and coffee house, and there’s also a strong history of tea in Leith - it was once one of the UK’s most important centres of tea importation - so this feels like something of a homecoming.”
Working directly with tea growers from Scotland to Sri Lanka, Kenya to China, PekoeTea sources the finest single-estate teas, to create unique handcrafted blends: the only company in Scotland to specialise in such blending techniques rather than relying on pre-flavoured teas.
Jon and Esther produce a range of teas: from black, white and green teas, to oolong, fruit and herbal blends. A selection of five whisky teas have also been specially blended by hand and flavoured with real Scotch single malt whisky; alongside a Whisky Fudge Tea.
