Winchester has been welcoming a new drink on its bustling high street that is very different from the standardised menus at either Costa or Starbucks.

Buble tea is the new craze. While coffee shops have long been the go-to spots for a refreshing drink while you shop on the high street, it seems that the tapioca-infused sensation of bubble tea - also known as boba - is captivating the taste buds and hearts of locals, transforming it into Winchester’s new favourite beverage.

Three shops that mainly sell boba populate the High Street – Boba Moon, located at the top of the high street, CUPP Bubble Tea, next to Waterstones, and Mooboo located just across from Poundland. All of these shops have over a four-star rating, but their popularity isn't just in the ratings, they can also be seen to be packed with people at peak time on a Saturday.

Thea Clifford, who attends Peter Symonds – a sixth-form college close to the city centre, is a big fan.

She said: “The variety and amount of options you get is much more appealing, it means I can get something new each time."

Winchester’s city centre is full of coffee shops that also have a variety of flavours on their menus that are popular with customers, but Thea said bubble tea is more fun.

She said: “The texture of the bubbles and popping them makes the drink much more exciting, also the bitterness of coffee is offputting so the sweet flavour of the fruit bubble teas is much more enticing."

As boba’s popularity continues to grow, it's evident that this sweet and chewy delight has enticed Winchester’s sweet tooth better than coffee ever has; it has firmly established itself as the beverage of choice, and it will be much more common to see someone on the highstreet holding a cup of boba rather than a coffee cup.

  • This article was written by Sophie Parr, from Peter Symonds College, as part of Newsquest's Young Reporter scheme.