British Emporium By Stephanie Miller


It’s a fun and lively shop where you can find the best of all things British – authentic teas, teawares, foods and gifts - along with a palpable aura of British-ness.


From classic teas, and everything you need for afternoon tea, to Cadbury chocolates, foods, gifts and the best-loved brands from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, British Emporium is a mecca in North Texas. It has the goods a homesick Brit needs to feel right at home.


And somehow British Emporium also imports a bit of that revered British sensibility, that knowing and witty outlook on life.


No matter when you stop by this popular shop located on Main Street in Grapevine, it’s always bustling, and you can hear the Queen’s English spoken here.


“I have been a customer here from the beginning,” said Beryl Evans, who is from England and has lived in North Texas for 40 years. “I just come and enjoy everything. I call and have Christmas pudding and biscuits held for me.”


British Emporium is also her source for supplies for a cherished daily ritual. “Every day I have tea and a biscuit. I use PG Tips, which they have here. I grew up on it.” In true British fashion, Beryl likes “a good strong tea with a little milk.”


Good strong tea is a key focus at British Emporium, and a large part of the reason Sheela Kadam and Alexandra Evans opened the store 20 years ago. “It was getting to be quite a chore to find decent tea,” Sheela recalls. So the two friends, who met through a British Ladies Club, took matters into their own hands.


“I don’t know what we would do without our tea,” Sheela shares. “A lot of people think it’s funny that the British have to stop everything for tea.


“But the British have recognized the wisdom that the Chinese have in their tea ceremonies. The ritual of taking tea together, and socializing and


is a Home Away from Home for Ex-Pats and Anglophiles


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www.teaintexas.com | May - June 2012


Tea Travels


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