An entrepreneur who started out helping in her parent’s takeaway aged just 11 is bringing the first bubble tea store to Anglesey.
Ying Lee has spent 20 years in the food and beverage industry as well as travelling extensively around the globe.
Now she wants to make bubble tea - which originated in Taiwan in the 1980s - a favourite on the island with her pop-up store set to launch in Trearddur Bay next month.
For those who don’t know, bubble tea is a rich, milky, thick cup of tea, filled with dark spheres of ‘pearls’. which are tapioca flour balls cooked in a sugary syrup.
Ying, aged 33, said: “The impact of this pandemic resulted in thousands of businesses permanently shut down, but this was when I visualised an opportunity arising.
“I am experienced in the food and beverage industry and saw a gap in this beautiful North Wales location in Trearddur Bay, where bubble tea does not exist.
“We started our extensive research on bubble tea, exploring the different types of teas available, toppings and flavours, most importantly sourcing teas from Taiwan.
“We spent weeks and weeks playing with the different ingredients, mix and matching for weeks, with an incredible amount of tasting and testing. We knew we needed to craft the best bubble tea menu.
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“We are now aiming to launch Anglesey’s very first bubble tea pop up store in May.”
She is launching at her parents’ business The Imperial Palace restaurant in the village.
Ying added: “I started helping out at my parents takeaway business at the age of 11.
“I later graduated from an art-related course and after graduation I chose to help my parents who decided to embark on a new business, transitioning from a takeaway to a restaurant.
“With over 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, my interest in travelling around the world tasting and exploring all sorts of cuisine including many fine dining and Michelin restaurants, I truly believe I am well and ready to embark on my very own business with the full support from my family and friends.
“We have changed our logo and name many times, we have finally decided to go with naming our business ‘Chit Cha - One sip at a time’, meaning for people to chit chat but with bubble tea, we want our customers to drink feeling relaxed.
“Our logo, the sloth represents a very slow, chilled manner - which perfectly illustrates what we are in a nutshell - taking everyday slowly, chilled and chit chat with tea!
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“All teas are carefully picked, including; Assam tea, Jasmine green tea, Oolong tea.
“This will create the base of the drink.
“Additional ingredients include fruit flavour based that can be added to the tea of your choice, tapioca pearls (aka boba) is a starch that is extracted from a root called cassava (gluten free).
“Our teas will be freshly brewed on a daily basis. We expect only the highest standards.”
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