I am a person who likes to talk. So when a friend told me about an Ancoats tea house where guests drink in silence, I struggled to picture myself enjoying the experience. Curiosity piqued, I decided to challenge myself with a visit - and was surprised with what I found.
Cha-ology is hidden in plain sight on Great Ancoats Street, with an unassuming shop front that modestly hints at the peaceful haven inside. Admittedly, I've walked past many times, but have never paid enough attention to this unusual institution. It's hard to imagine that just off one of Manchester's busiest roads lies quite possibly the most peaceful place in Ancoats.
I was initially drawn to Cha-ology because of its long list of rules. Guests here are discouraged from taking photos of decorations and food, and forbidden from taking pictures of themselves or friends. The tea house is reservation only, and customers are instructed not to wear strong perfume (for fear of detracting from using all five senses during the experience), or wear lipstick (for fear of staining the tea sets). Shoes must be removed before you sit down, and if you visit on Thursdays or Saturdays, you must stay entirely silent for the duration of your visit. You are encouraged to visit alone, but can bring only one other guest with you if you wish.
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I made a reservation for myself and a friend online, and arrived at Cha-ology on a rainy Thursday afternoon. The space is small but homely, I almost felt as if I was entering somebody's kitchen. A meticulously clean and carefully balanced kitchen, mind, but a kitchen nonetheless.
In fact, carefully balanced is the phrase I would use to describe the entire experience at this unusual place. Cha-ology is a Japanese tea room, aiming to provide guests with a 'special, non-daily-life-experience'. Their website says they aim to 'introduce people to the beauty of Japanese tea', and give guests a space to 'share a calming moment for tea time'. This, then, is no ordinary tea room.
Upon our arrival, we were welcomed into the space with whispers. Our wet coats were taken and dried carefully, before being hung up, and our bags were taken from us to our table while we were shown the full array of teas and sweet treats on offer. Guests here pay a £25 deposit per person, which will get you the 'one course' menu, in which you choose one tea and one sweet. Once there, you can opt to pay more for more courses if you wish to try a greater number of teas or desserts.
We stuck with the one course menu, which turned out to be a good choice because it turned out that all customers are served an additional initial course that changes seasonally. We were given an ice cold light green tea, served in a beautiful, large glass, along with a delicate flower-shaped wafer filled with red bean paste and butter (vegan and dairy both available).
The tea was smooth and refreshing, with no hint of the bitterness that often accompanies green tea. It complemented the wafer, which was a delicious combination of sweet and salty with the textures contrasting beautifully. We were served in silence, with only the occasional whisper to explain the food in front of us. As soft piano music played in the background, I began to think that silence wasn't so bad.
Glancing at the clock, 30 of our allotted 105 minutes had elapsed. It had felt relatively easy so far, but truthfully, the thought of spending the next 75 minutes in silence and phone-free felt alien. What if I got bored?
I needn't have worried. Over the next hour and a bit, I filled my time reading, writing odd paragraphs when inspiration struck, and simply thinking. At first, it had felt challenging to be sat opposite my friend in absolute silence - but as time went on, I grew less and less aware of her presence, and more and more focused on my own.
Next, we were served a first infusion of our chosen teas - for me, the 'wakoucha', a smooth black Japanese tea, and for her the 'houjicha' - a nutty roasted green tea. The owner's passion for their craft was clear - we were guided through three infusions of our chosen tea, each served a different precise temperature, and encouraged to smell the leaves after their first infusion. At Cha-ology, the experience was about far more than just tea.
I chose a mochi dessert with a sweet paste and orange berry inside, while my friend opted for a sesame based sweet with bean paste. Both were delicious. Many of the flavours and textures are unusual to a western palate, but that is part of the wonder of the experience. Cha-ology is serving flavours that you're unlikely to find elsewhere in Ancoats.
With our final round of tea we were given creamy, melt-in-the-mouth chocolate infused with houjicha tea and matcha tea, and a jelly-like mochi served with sugar syrup. Each course was served with care and precision, with absolutely nothing out of place - and that goes for the flavours, too. A perfect balance.
Before I knew it, our one hour 45 minute session had slipped away with hardly a word spoken. As we stepped back out into the ceaseless noise of Great Ancoats Street - and back into reality - I felt the most at peace I had done all week. The unassuming tea house had allowed me to take a step away from life and simply exist - a rare opportunity in today's busy world. It's amazing what a bit of silence can do.
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