If you’re a true Oxford foodie, you’ll know (and love) Magdalen Road well. Full of independent cafes, shops, and restaurants, it’s the perfect spot to spend a weekend afternoon if you’re in a moochy mood.

Well, a new small biz is on the block – tinytea house.

James Thirwall, (who owns and runs tiny teahouse) kindly invited Bitten to come along and try one of the tea experiences offered at the teahouse.

The tiny teahouse sits above the Project PT Studio on Magdalen Road, so we headed up the stairs to the right and were greeted by warm and friendly James. We took off our shoes and headed into the tiny tearoom. The name of this place is more than apt – it really is a teeny tiny room!

James has decorated it beautifully, with tasteful art and tea-related decor, we immediately felt relaxed and started to switch off from the outside world. We were sat on one side of the table, with James on the other, as he started talking us through how the tasting would work, while also chatting away about Oxford and travelling.

James is the perfect host for this type of experience, with an incredibly relaxing presence that puts you immediately at ease. We chatted away with him throughout this whole experience and it felt like we’d known him for years!

The classic experience has you trying a white tea, a green tea, an oolong tea, and a black tea. James talked us through each tea, the types of tea leaves, the difference the preparation can make to the flavour, and how to correctly pour and re-pour the teas. Nothing was rushed, we got to smell each tea before it was brewed, discuss what scents we all picked up on, and then compared this to the actual taste when it was served.

James is essentially a tea sommelier – he knows everything there is to know about tea.

We were also served small snacks to munch on during the tasting, to elevate and accompany the tea flavours. Drinking a lot of tea does make you hungry – so we appreciated these nibbles later into the session. Much to our delight, one tea was accompanied by a Tunnocks tea cake (an absolute FAVE of mine and my friend Emilie who came with me). We tried to eat these elegantly to match the vibe of the tearoom, but they’re just one of those snacks you’ve gotta gobble (in my opinion anyway).

James’ passion for and knowledge of tea shone through throughout the entire session. We asked a lot of questions and they were all met with mindful and interesting answers. James has travelled a lot, and had some incredible stories to tell about the different teas he’s collected along the way. We could really tell his whole heart’s in this business, he was so excited to tell us about each tea, and sometimes our natural conversations led to him choosing a different tea for us to try, which felt really bespoke and personal.

What stood out to me the most was how completely relaxed I felt coming out of the tearoom.

It genuinely felt like I’d meditated, or slept for an hour. Working a full-time job and running Bitten on the side means I rarely switch off, and this was the first time in a long time I truly felt relaxed. I think the combination of the teas, a room that cuts you off from the world, and James’ ability to create such a relaxing and interesting vibe is what did it.

This experience would be a really good gift idea for a tea lover, or someone who just loves trying something a bit different. With it being just two of you, it’s a nice way to spend time with a friend, away from phones and distractions and just to experience something together.

There are a few different experiences to choose from at a range of prices, including a ‘tiny tea party’ which takes place once a month. I recommend checking out the website to find out more.

A Behind The Scenes interview with James will be coming soon… so watch this space!

tiny teahouse
 9a, Newtec Place, 9 Magdalen Rd, Oxford OX4 1RE

Bitten were invited as guests, all views are our own