When residents said they were 'raving' about a new cafe serving up boba tea and sweet treats that had announced its grand opening in Shaw, I jumped at the opportunity to try out the hottest trend in tea.
Tealicious Brews and Boba on Rochdale Road, through the Dolphin Fish Bar, is Shaw's first bubble tearoom, serving up a range of milk teas, fruit teas, milkshakes and sundaes.
The cafe opened its doors in a soft launch last week on Sunday (August 18) which excited residents and customers across the village, many of whom hadn't tried bubble tea before.
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I had heard of it but hadn't ever ventured beyond a Yorkshire teabag.
So, armed with another first-time trier, we popped into Tealicious' first official day on Tuesday (August 20) - and here is what we thought.
The tearoom
The cafe sits in what was once the Dolphin chippy's dining area.
The family who run the business explained that the dining room closed in the pandemic as, tragically, it lost many of its elderly customers to Covid, which meant those opting to eat in significantly dwindled.
However, the family have had a long love affair with bubble tea, having tried it in its authentic birthplace, Taiwan as well as Hong Kong "many years ago", and various bubble tea shops across Manchester and London.
In February this year, they decided to overhaul the diner with a vision to bring something "fresh and exciting to Shaw" and, since bubble tea had "exploded" over social media, they said they felt it was "the perfect time to do it".
It's clear a lot of love and thought has been poured into bringing the cafe to life, with bright seating areas by the window, vibrant LED lights, an inviting drinks counter with the boba toppings neatly on display, and a green-themed glow - perhaps in a nod to jasmine green tea which forms a base to its drinks (as well as Assam black tea).
There is even a ring light to snap the perfect pic of your boba tea creation for your socials.
It was spotlessly clean when we turned up unannounced, which is always a great sign, and despite the close proximity of the chippy, it felt like stepping into an entirely different space that was completely separate from the hustle and bustle of the chip fryer.
The staff
We were promptly greeted by a young, friendly face behind the counter who was keen to give us her personal recommendations when we admitted we were clueless about it all.
Tealicious told The Oldham Times it has hired youngsters who "love bubble tea as much as we do" - and they were more than happy to explain to us how it worked.
Meanwhile, the family were also busy chatting with other new customers who had joined the queue, asking them for feedback, their thoughts on the place and their orders, which I could hear were all positive with some travelling far and wide across Oldham.
The drinks
The staff member recommended that we try a fruity tea as she told us her favourite was either the strawberry tea with peach popping balls, or the reverse (peach tea with strawberry balls).
She said it would also work with mango as this is another popular choice, but we went with her initial suggestion.
I was hesitant at first as I'm not the biggest fan of green tea which I think tastes like boiled grass - but then when a radiant orange and red concoction with ice and floating 'pearls' came, my interest piqued.
@theoldhamtimes Tealicious Brews and Bobba is a MUST VISIT👌🏻 Check out our full review on The Oldham Times of this exciting new cafe in Shaw #bubbletea #bobatea #foodreview #oldham #manchester ♬ Synchronize (2023 Instrumental) - Milky Chance
Hannah was also excited to tuck in, commenting that it looked "like a sunset" and I also considered that the drink could taste sweet, like a Sex on the Beach cocktail, with a hint of earthiness to it.
However, our first sip exceeded our expectations: it was refreshing, not at all overpoweringly sweet and entirely moreish.
The popping balls are so delicate they burst in your mouth, releasing another refreshing but complimentary flavour.
(Pro tip: if you finish your drink before getting through all the balls, you're left with a nice treat afterwards!)
The presentation is also worth a shout-out as I loved the cutesy teddy bear sealed lid that kept the drink cool, contained and ready for on-the-go.
The staff then kindly gave us some samples - a shot of a milk tea with tapioca pearls and a boba sundae.
The milk tea was completely different: creamy, rich and comforting with just the right amount of sweetness while the tapioca pearls were more chewy than the popping balls, and reminded me of chocolate, which is always a win in my eyes.
The boba sundae also came with tapioca pearls and I was told it is made with brown sugar and whipped cream. This was also a delightfully tasty treat.
The price
A large fruit tea comes in at £4.70 - including the toppings - which I thought was reasonable considering you'd pay only slightly less for a posh coffee elsewhere, and it was generously large.
If the bubble tea isn't your jam, Tealicious also serves up your regular hot drinks - a large coffee is just £1.80, a large latte is £2.70 and an iced coffee is £3, all of which I think is a bit of a steal.
Fruity slushies are priced between £3.20 to £3.70, milkshakes £4 to £4.50 and you can also order a frappe for around £3.80 to £4.80, depending on if you want to get fancy with Oreo, Biscoff or matcha.
A regular-sized sundae (not like the sample we tried) costs £5 which again I think is quite standard for sweet treats - and a small cup is a mere £2.20.
Final thoughts
Drinks and food aside, what also stood out was the safe, family-friendly and community-hub atmosphere of the tearoom.
A group of young girls were happily chatting away at a table over their boba teas, familiar faces stopped for a natter and a mum and son left with big grins on their faces. Others enjoyed tucking into their treats and grabbing a pic in the cafe's dreamy seating area.
Tealicious has certainly drummed up the excitement in the younger crowd, but it's also a place for the whole family to enjoy. After all, what brings people closer together than bonding over a brew?
It's a trendy take on the traditional tearoom and a breath of fresh air that you're missing out on if you haven't tried it yet.
Where should we review next? Got a story? Email me Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk
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