The bubble tea or ‘Boba’ phenomenon has arrived in Solihull, and it has seen ‘crazy’ queues of customers craving the Taiwanese treat. Bubble CiTea, a locally owned brand with stores across the UK, has opened its newest store in Touchwood shopping center in Solihull town centre.

And Solihull manager Nuno Furtado told us that the queues of customers, especially on Saturdays, have been “crazy”. Bubble tea consists of tea accompanied by chewy tapioca balls (“boba” or “pearls”), but can also be made with other ingredients.

The drink originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and has gained legions of fans from the United States to Australia. Now, bubble tea shops are popping up on Britain’s high streets, and Solihull customers have flocked to Bubble CiTea to try the traditional drink with a unique twist.

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Speaking against a backdrop of jars brimming with pearls, manager Nuno Furtado, 21, told BirminghamLive: “Saturdays especially, it’s very busy, the queues get crazy. It’s a bit hard to manage on Saturdays!

“It’s something new, we’re the only ones here who make it. The most popular is the rainbow bubble mango fruit tea or brown sugar milk tea, but you can mix many flavors and make really delicious drinks.

“A lot of people ask what it is, recommendations, what it’s all made of, ask questions and then want to try it.”

The company’s Touchwood store, located just off the center’s main atrium, is its 39th location and has seven employees. Bubble CiTea bosses said: “We are a locally owned and recognized brand that tailors unique flavors to meet local needs while upholding the traditional core value of Taiwanese bubble tea culture.

“We are proud to serve fresh bubble tea in all of our retail stores, where our goal is to uphold the core value of high quality beverages, excellent customer service, cleanliness and hygiene. Each season we tailor our special recipes to suit your needs. “.

Prices for a regular high tea range from £4 on up, with specials costing in the region of £5-6. An example of drinks you can order:

• mango fruit tea
• passion fruit tea
• white peach tea
• strawberry tea
• dirty milk tea
• taro tea
• milk chocolate tea

Queues have been around the block, particularly to try the rainbow-popping pearls and milk tea specials, Nuno told us. Explaining how it works, Nuno said: “So you just choose the base drinks, between fruit tea or milk tea, those are the main flavors, then you choose the ingredients, you have bubbles, jelly, more traditional chews. Then it’s ice and sugar, and that’s it!

“I think it will be a brand at Touchwood that people recognize.”

Bubble CiTea opened at the Touchwood Shopping Centre, Solihull on the 21st of January. centre, Solihull.

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