£325k invested in Manchester cafe venture

The business partners behind Blue Rainbow Aparthotels – a collection of 4* and 5* boutique serviced apartments – are investing £325,000 into a new hospitality venture in Manchester, Tea 42 Restaurants.

Tea 42, which is set to launch later in the autumn, will create 20 jobs and offer customers an alternative tearoom experience. The venue will serve a large selection of specialty, hand-blended teas, locally-sourced cakes and high-quality, light refreshments.

Produce has been personally sourced from local companies, such as Great North Pie Co and jam and chutney specialists, ‘Galore!’. The venue will also have an extensive gluten-free food menu, supported by eight locally brewed gluten-free beers. There will also be an extensive wine list and beer selection.

Will Hannah, managing director at Blue Rainbow Aparthotels and Tea 42, said: “The new venue will be positioned as an alternative to other market-leading coffee houses and daytime refreshment bars. Tea 42 reflects what we have always been good at – creating a new niché by cherry-picking the best ideas in the market and combining them into something truly unique.

“Initially, we plan to launch Tea 42 sites close to our Blue Rainbow Aparthotels locations, which will allow guests to access refreshments with ease. However, in the future, there is also potential to roll Tea 42 out as a standalone venue in cities without our properties, as we feel the Tea 42 concept is so strong.”

The first Tea 42 Manchester site will be located close to the group’s High St aparthotel, near The Arndale. The group, which also includes a flagship property on Manchester’s Knott Mill area and on Edinburgh’s Queen Street, has ambitious plans to grows its annual turnover from just over £4 million this year to nearly £13 million in 2017.