Like many people, Katie Davis was left re-evaluating her life when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
She had been working as a classical ballet teacher since leaving school but all teaching was stopped due to lockdown.
Deciding to head into a new direction, Katie took a step into the catering world, which has led her to setting up her own bubble tea and bubble waffle shop called bobobo – the first of its kind – in Stafford.
The Salter Street venue, pictured above, is celebrating its first birthday this weekend and Katie says she has been overwhelmed by its popularity.
“I always knew it was going to be popular, but I have still been surprised,” she said. “People told us they would get the train from Stafford to Birmingham just to get a bubble tea so if they were willing to travel that far to get the drink, I thought it would be perfect here.
“The past year has been incredible.”
Katie, pictured above, initially started off in catering by cooking meals for neighbours in Stone during lockdown. Then, when she outgrew her kitchen, she took on The Coffee Bar & Kitchen on Mill Street in Stafford, running that for almost 18 months before selling it to concentrate on bobobo.
The shop serves bubble tea, a drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s but has recently become a real trend.
It is made by blending tea with milk, fruit and fruit juices then adding tapioca pearls.
Customers can choose to have either a milk or fruit tea base and have a whole variety of flavours and toppings – such as cheesecake foam and jelly – to customise it with.
They are then served in the traditional way – in a heat-sealed cup.
Katie, who has six people working at her shop, said: “The balls at the bottom are actually toppings that burst in your mouth whilst you drink it.
“We offer a big combination of different flavours. There is so much you can do with them and we’re always trying to come up with new ideas.
“We have loved how people have embraced it. We still have new customers coming in and people from different age groups as well.”
To add to its quirkiness, the shop features a bath full of plastic balls – to look like a bubble bath – which is often climbed in by customers.
Bubble waffles, a street food snack originating from Hong Kong that come with a variety of different toppings, are also popular across the age groups.
Katie is now planning to expand the business and already has her eyes on some areas in particular.
To celebrate the shop’s birthday, there will be special offers on over the course of this weekend, 1 and 2 July.
Amazing company. We are extremely proud to be in a partnership with this fantastic shop. Onwards and upwards. Best wishes from Support Staffordshire.