The leaves start to change colour. The streets are getting cosy. And towards the end of Magdalene Street, the Tea Apothecary opens its doors to welcome you with warmth, love and over 40 special teas. Victoria Rothe’s journey has grown from Cambridge Market to her own facility on Magdalene Street, alongside businesses like Fitzbillies and What the Fleur, giving Cambridge the extra charm you are looking for when you walk along the academic buildings and streets.
This year, Victoria Rothe and the Tea Apothecary have been nominated, among other businesses, for the Cambridge Business Awards. In the following interview, we take you on a journey through the Tea Apothecary’s growth and the magic you can discover when you visit one of Cambridge’s famous tea shops.
Q: It’s been two years since the shop opened; how does it feel now vs. then?
A: Before Tea Apothecary was a store, it was a market stall going around the country for more than two years. We even traded out of our family cargo bike! Moving to a retail premises was more than just putting our market stall inside four walls. We thought carefully about the kind of space we wanted to create, and in many ways, it felt like starting anew. One thing that hasn’t changed is our love of tea and the joy we feel in sharing it with others. Every tea going to a new home makes our heart happy!
The Tea Apothecary welcomes you with 40+ special blends from countries like India, China, Japan and Taiwan. Each tea is sourced in alignment with membership qualifications and environmental reasons. Each blend comes with special flavours and choices Victoria carefully selects.
Q: How did the vision change over the years?
A: Having a shop has allowed us space to play and experiment. We always want to keep the expansive energy where we are excited about what we are doing and trying new things. It’s been fun having the space to be more creative, stocking products that make us feel excited and having wonderful people join our team!
Q: Describe to us the magic of the store to someone who hasn’t been there before. What do people need to know?
A: Tea, Gifts and Things to Love! Shelves stocked high with wonderful, high-quality loose-leaf teas that make the shop smell magical, plus more wonder all around: tea ware, delicious chocolates, heavenly-smelling candles, reading journals… in short, everything that goes perfectly with your perfect cup of tea.
Q: Tell us more about the process behind choosing which tea makes it on the shelves
A: We follow our nose! We try to ensure we have a range of black, green, herbal, and fruit teas to choose from, and we evolve with customer requests. We added matcha this year due to strong customer demand, same with Ceylon tea and just a really good Earl Grey. Whatever we introduce, it must be the highest quality available!
Q: Which tea is your favourite and why?
A: Ah, the magic question! It depends on my mood and the weather. But I always keep returning to a lovely Earl Grey Finest when the day begins, then an Aztec Vanilla to soothe the soul at bedtime.
Aztec Vanilla is one of the special rooibos teas Tea Apothecary offers. Alongside Cambridge Breakfast, it’s one of our bestsellers in store and the kind of gift you want when you’re giving that special extra that carries the heart of Cambridge.
Q: You also run workshops in the store. Tell us more about that.
A: We created a beautiful space; why not use it? We are lucky enough to be on a gorgeous street and in a special building 100s of years old. The workshops that we host, whether than is journaling by candlelight or Tea and Tarot, are our way of connecting with our community. We also host Creative Writing Workshops.
Q: Beyond the teas and workshops, the store is also a gift shop. What can customers expect to find?
A: ‘Happy Birthday!’, ‘Merry Christmas’, ‘Love from Cambridge ‘, or just a sweet, simple ‘Thinking of You’; we know many people choose to say it with Tea Apothecary. Tea is a perfect gift, and in-store we have put together a range of gifting boxes and hampers that pair our teas with goodies like cards, candles, and chocolates, giving you a ready-made, universal gift package for any occasion.
Q: What’s something you want people to know that you’ve not shared before about the shop? Like a hidden secret?
A: It was very special to discover that our store was a tea shop over 160 years ago! We are continuing a proud tradition of bringing tea to the people of Cambridge, rooted in history in a way you can only find in a beautiful, historic city like ours.
Q: Any last words you’d like to share with the readers?
A: I can only encourage more people to join the loose-leaf revolution! Drinking loose tea is not only a lovely experience, but it also almost certainly guarantees you are drinking a super product because tea bags are typically made from the worst grade of tea. I may be biased, but to me, tea is everything: comfort, warmth, a gentle stimulant, a lovely treat after a meal, the list goes on. When something matters so much, you want to make sure it’s the best you can get.
The Tea Apothecary welcomes you at 22a Magdalene Street in Cambridge.
