New loose leaf tea shop opens on Kirkgate, Newark

A long-standing loose leaf tea business has now been brought to the heart of our town.

Pamela and Lance Merryweather, from Grantham, opened Teaspoon Tea Co. this week on Kirkgate, sharing an entrance with Newark Art Gallery & Studio.

The business initially came about ten years ago to fulfil a lack of loose leaf teas on offer when the couple went out for drinks.

Pamela said: “There was always coffee, but there was never anything to do with tea.

“People could do with having a cup of tea that is as good as coffee, and since we opened it has been doing as well as we expected.

“Loose leaf tea shops are quite a niche thing and people are getting into it because it’s environmentally friendly and it just tastes better, it also comes with all the health benefits.”

About 18 months ago, Lance and Pamela closed their shop and tearoom in Grantham and started trading online and in markets across the country.

After they closed, the couple were looking at moving somewhere between Nottingham and Lincoln to be closer to their sons, who had moved to attend university.

“Newark was the perfect spot, all seemed to fall into place,” Pamela said, “We sold our house in Grantham, found a house here, found a shop and then we just moved.”

Their mission is to sell tea that is easy to brew, fuss-free, and has an ‘amazing’ taste and aroma.

With over 40 different types of loose leaf tea, the owners offer advice for their customers on the product that best matches the flavour and benefits to suit them, as well as offering “sniff pots”, where customers have the chance to smell the different teas before they buy.

The duo is hoping to bring something new to the town centre as it offers more selection than normal coffee shops and retail shops.

People unable to visit the Newark shop can order their loose leaf tea online at https://www.teaspoon-tea.co.uk/ or their Facebook page at Teaspoon Tea Co - Markets.

Pamela and Lance are also encouraging customers to visit the shop and ask them about specific type of tea that they might be looking for.