Rob and his wife Michelle are among the new breed of café owners who take char very seriously. We’re not talking builder’s brew with milk and sugar here, but fine single estate loose-leaf teas served in authentic teaware, carefully paired with dumplings, open sandwiches and cakes, according to their flavour profile.

“The range of flavours possible from tea can be used to create a complementary base for food, or a contrast to emphasise flavours,” explains Rob, a self-confessed tea geek. “The variety is limitless.”

Speciality teahouses like Comins are now popping up around the UK, proof that the British cuppa is changing. Our thirst for traditional tea has been cooling for years; sales have tumbled by more than 20 per cent since 2010, according to consumer research group Mintel. But our love for loose-leaf, herbal and fruit teas, especially among consumers aged 25–34, is “going from strength to strength”.