The two-storey flagship brings together experimental tea drinks, freshly baked pastries and tea-based ice cream, as the Chinese chain expands its UK footprint to 18 stores across nine cities.
Chinese tea chain HEYTEA has opened its first UK HEYTEA Lab at 118–120 Shaftesbury Avenue in London’s Chinatown, introducing a new premium retail format that combines speciality tea beverages, bakery products and tea-based ice cream.
Opened on October 30, 2026, the 218-square-metre, two-storey outlet represents the brand’s most elevated store format globally and its fifth lab-format location outside mainland China. The other locations include New York’s Times Square, Toronto and Bangkok, alongside its recently launched Gelato Lab+ in New York.
The London opening marks another step in HEYTEA’s expansion in the UK, where the brand entered in August 2023 with its first store in Soho. It has since grown its network to 18 outlets across nine cities, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Liverpool.
Commenting on the London opening, Chen Hao, HEYTEA’s Vice President of Public Relations and Communications, said the UK has an established tea culture while consumers are increasingly receptive to new ways of enjoying tea. He added that the first UK Lab represents an important step in the company’s long-term growth ambitions in the market.
The new outlet brings together three experimental concepts: Tea Lab, Bake Lab and Tea Ice Cream. It introduces 12 products to the UK market, including three developed exclusively for British consumers.
Among the UK-exclusive offerings is Rock Oolong Caramel Biscuit, a tea-based beverage combining roasted oolong, milk, caramel biscuit cream, torched brown sugar and biscuit crumbs. The bakery section features Original Croissant Egg Tart and Caramel Biscuit Croissant Egg Tart, while the ice cream counter introduces Jasmine & Rice Ice Cream and Caramel Biscuit Milk Tea Ice Cream.
The menu also includes established HEYTEA products such as Coconut Mango Boom, Kale Boost Tea and Supreme Brown Sugar Bobo Milk Tea. Mango Coconut Sticky Rice, developed through the brand’s global collaboration with BLACKPINK’s Lisa, is another addition.
The opening reflects HEYTEA’s strategy of adapting its product offering to local consumer preferences while retaining its tea-led identity. The three UK-exclusive products draw inspiration from Britain’s traditional tea-and-biscuits culture, translating the combination into a beverage, pastry and ice cream.
HEYTEA’s Global Expansion and Franchise Strategy
Founded in 2012 in Jiangmen, Guangdong province, China, HEYTEA pioneered the new-style tea category and became known for introducing cheese tea, combining freshly brewed tea with a creamy cheese topping.
The company has expanded considerably beyond its Chinese home market. According to the company’s latest figures, HEYTEA operates more than 3,500 stores across over 330 cities worldwide and has approximately 150 million registered members. Its international markets include the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, South Korea and other Asian markets.
Franchising and international partnerships form part of its wider global expansion strategy. HEYTEA has reopened its global partnership programme, identifying selected markets for international partners, including the UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States.
However, the company has not publicly identified a UK master franchise partner for its existing 18-store network. Its UK business is represented by HEYTEA International UK Limited, a registered UK company incorporated in December 2023. The specific ownership and operating arrangements for individual UK outlets have not been disclosed in the announcement.
The distinction is relevant as HEYTEA continues to develop its international footprint through different store formats and market-entry arrangements.
With its Chinatown opening, HEYTEA is extending its UK proposition beyond conventional bubble tea retail, bringing beverages, bakery and dessert concepts together under one roof.
