The Fashion and Textile Museum, London
Celia Joicey, 16.01.2012
The Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey, London, is the only museum in the UK dedicated to showcasing developments in contemporary fashion and providing training for those working in the industry.
Our cafe teapod@FTM is run by teapod, a contemporary tea and coffee house that has been providing a distinctive offer to visitors since 2010.
Unlike other museum caterers, teapod provides a specialist menu of 20 top-quality loose leaf teas.
The cafe staff give advice on the wide variety of flavours – whether it’s a smokey Lapsang Souchong with a kick or a healthy and delicate Jasmine Dragon Pearls – and customers can purchase loose-leaf tea too.
As a result there is a good creative and commercial match with the museum; the modern colours of the teapod brand complement the striking hot-pink museum building and, crucially, there is a shared customer base, particularly young professionals who are leading the growth in healthier speciality teas.
Teapod has two outlets in London and aims to operate at an ethical level, which is not always the standard in the catering industry. This approach is important to Newham College, which has owned the Fashion and Textile Museum since 2007.
While teapod benefits from the museum’s profile, the cafe has its own entrance to attract local workers and residents outside museum hours.
It has also developed services to extend museum activities – a special menu is available for courses and events – and exhibitions are promoted in the tea house.
Through this imaginative partnership the cafe has become a thriving space that supports the wider museum experience.
Celia Joicey is head of the Fashion and Textile Museum
Links
The Fashion and Textile Museum
Teapod
Our cafe teapod@FTM is run by teapod, a contemporary tea and coffee house that has been providing a distinctive offer to visitors since 2010.
Unlike other museum caterers, teapod provides a specialist menu of 20 top-quality loose leaf teas.
The cafe staff give advice on the wide variety of flavours – whether it’s a smokey Lapsang Souchong with a kick or a healthy and delicate Jasmine Dragon Pearls – and customers can purchase loose-leaf tea too.
As a result there is a good creative and commercial match with the museum; the modern colours of the teapod brand complement the striking hot-pink museum building and, crucially, there is a shared customer base, particularly young professionals who are leading the growth in healthier speciality teas.
Teapod has two outlets in London and aims to operate at an ethical level, which is not always the standard in the catering industry. This approach is important to Newham College, which has owned the Fashion and Textile Museum since 2007.
While teapod benefits from the museum’s profile, the cafe has its own entrance to attract local workers and residents outside museum hours.
It has also developed services to extend museum activities – a special menu is available for courses and events – and exhibitions are promoted in the tea house.
Through this imaginative partnership the cafe has become a thriving space that supports the wider museum experience.
Celia Joicey is head of the Fashion and Textile Museum
Links
The Fashion and Textile Museum
Teapod
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