Every time I pass by a Hey Tea, I can't help but sing that song by Sammy Johnson…read more..
I said, "Hey!" (I said, "Hey!")
"What's your name? (What's your name?)
And did you come alone?
Well, I'd like to get to know you.
And maybe I can show you a good time!
But anyways, I digress.
Hey Tea's worldwide expansion is reaching a fever pitch! I was certainly not expecting to find it in Southampton, but was pleasantly surprised when I did. I know the ethnic Chinese population isn't necessarily all that high around here, but I later realized that there are many students at the local university, so that explains it all.
Southampton is a charming little town, and I was originally just stopping by here as the first leg before my cruise, but I ended up falling in love with the place.
The funny thing is that I have indeed imbibed in Hey Tea's offerings all over Mainland China, and now in the UK, but never in my home state of California, where they are also blowing up like wildfires.
In any event, this location is in a prime location right in the heart of City Centre, with a good amount of foot traffic. The shop itself is much larger that the ones back home, and there is actually plenty of comfortable seating and bright lighting. Laptop camping is doable, but due to the low tabletops, you'd have to practice a bit of contortionism to make it work.
Drinks of course are just as good as all other locations, and there is no doubt as to why lines are always out the door. Luckily, this branch doesn't seem quite as busy as some others I have seen, but that could change once word gets out.
Bobaristas are quick and efficient, and speak both English and Mandarin (and potentially Cantonese, but I didn't test it out).
Since this is the UK, prices are not exactly cheap, and after converting £ to $, are similar to what we'd find back in California (around the $5-7 range), but at least here we don't have to deal with the daunting decision of how much to tip when the tablet is swiveled around in our direction with the bobarista breathing down our necks!
As far as I could tell, Hey Tea is the first of the Mainland milk tea behemoths to set up in Southampton, joining Taiwanese stalwarts, Happy Lemon, ChaTime and Ding Tea, in addition to a plethora of local mom and pop shops.
It is only a matter of time before the likes of Molly (now infamous for its battle with LV), Chagee, Mixue, Auntea Jenny, etc., among others infiltrate these shores. Perhaps the next time I come back to town for a cruise, I will indeed find the landscape to be much different, but before that happens, Hey Tea is your best bet!
