Yumchaa

Selling loose leaf tea (Chaa) that tastes yummy gave the tea enthusiasts behind Yumchaa, Trinh and Sean, an idea of what to call their unique brand of tea. Trinh is Vietnamese and the shop's Chinese name means 'to have or to make tea' - as well as being 'yum' and 'tea' run together. They started out selling their loose leaf tea on a stall at Portobello Road Market and soon expanded across several London markets - including a stall at Camden Lock Market. A fortuitous move this, as it was in Camden lock's west yard that they finally set up a shop and cafe where you can not only buy the fine Yumchaa teas but sample them as well. There's a strictly no tea-bagging policy - loose leaves are the best way to enjoy a brew, they say - and they've even stage a street demo to "liberate your leaves". There's a wide range of black, green, red and white teas to choose from. Caramel Sweetheart, just one of the many black tea blends, combines caramel pieces with the Keemun leaves for a sweet pick-me-up. Sit out on the balcony over looking Regent's Canal while sipping on a cup of Gentle Giant (jasmine flowers and ginger root) and sampling the scones and cakes. It's bliss.