**This is a sponsored post**
Here in the UK, bubble tea is big business. In 2023, the UK bubble tea market was valued at £49.41m: a figure that is expected to grow to £91.84m by 2032.
It’s a sector that’s particularly popular in university cities – did you know, for example, that Cambridge has 7.5 bubble tea shops for every 100,000 people?!
With bubble tea drinks costing upwards of £4-5 each, there’s clearly good money to be made. Whether you’re looking to experiment with bubble tea recipes at home or start a new bubble tea business venture, you can do so with very few ingredients.
The starting point is the tea. While some drinks use jasmine or other green teas, others use black tea: it’s down to personal preference, and the other ingredients you intend to add. Other ingredients may include brown sugar or fruit-flavoured syrups – and milk, if you prefer a milky version of bubble tea.
While tapioca pearls are traditional in drinks such as brown sugar milk tea, there are other “bubble” options for those (like my son) who aren’t tapioca fans. Popping bubbles filled with fruit syrup, aloe vera cubes and fruit jellies are all items you’ll find on bubble tea menus.
Want to add something extra? Try some toppings! Whether it’s milk foam, creme brulee or even ice cream, there are unlimited customisation options to make your bubble tea your own.
From the simplest of fruit teas to elaborate concoctions with a variety of toppings, your bubble tea creations can be as basic or as fancy as you want. If you’ve experimented with a range of recipes and are looking for a new venture, maybe a bubble tea business or franchise could be your next step…
Thinking of starting a bubble tea business?
If you’re looking to capitalise on the popularity of bubble tea, there are many things you’ll need to consider first. Choosing the right location is paramount, so market research before you begin is key.
You’ll need to decide whether you want to become part of an established bubble tea franchise, or whether you’d prefer to go it alone – there are pros and cons to both. You’ll need to develop a business plan, find premises and source equipment and supplies, as well as hire staff, develop a menu and work out how best to market your business.
Thanks to the bubble tea boom, you’ll easily find kits and individual ingredients to make bubble tea in small quantities at home. If you’re looking to develop your passion into a business, though, you’ll want to work with a reputable bubble tea wholesale provider to buy everything you need in bulk.
Setting up a bubble tea business – or adding bubble tea as a new offering to your coffee shop, dessert shop or restaurant – can be truly lucrative. As with any new business idea, there’s plenty of planning and development that needs to be done first – including making plenty of bubble tea to taste test your creations!