Kardomah Cafés facts for kids

The Kardomah Cafe in Swansea, 2016

Kardomah Cafés were a popular chain of coffee shops. You could find them across England, Wales, and even in Paris. They were very well-known from the early 1900s until the 1960s. These cafes were special because they often had live music, like string quartets playing. Today, most of them have closed down.

History of Kardomah Cafés

The story of Kardomah began in 1844 in Liverpool. It started as a company called Vey Brothers, which sold tea and groceries. Later, in 1868, a new company called the Liverpool China and India Tea Company took over. They started creating different brand names.

The "Kardomah" name for tea was first used at an exhibition in Liverpool in 1887. This brand soon became popular for teas, coffees, and the coffee houses themselves. The main company even changed its name to Kardomah Limited in 1938.

Over the years, the Kardomah brand was sold to different big companies. It was bought by the Forte Group in 1962. Then, in 1971, it became part of Cadbury/Schweppes/Typhoo. Later, it joined Premier Brands. The Kardomah brand still exists today, selling things like instant coffee and coffee whitener.

Some of the Kardomah Cafés in London and Manchester were designed by a famous person named Sir Misha Black. He worked on them between 1936 and 1950.

The original Kardomah Cafe in Swansea was first on High Street. It was known as 'The Kardomah Exhibition Cafe & Tea Rooms'. In 1908, it moved to Castle Street. This cafe became a famous meeting spot for a group of friends known as The Kardomah Gang. A well-known writer named Dylan Thomas was part of this group. The cafe was built where Dylan Thomas's parents got married.

Sadly, the Castle Street cafe was bombed during World War II. This happened during the Blitz in February 1941. A new Kardomah Coffee Shop Restaurant later opened on Portland Street.

Other Kardomah Locations

Kardomah Cafés were found in many towns and cities. Here are some of the places where you could find them:

• Birmingham (near Snow Hill Station and on New Street)
• Blackpool (on the Promenade)
• Cambridge (on St Andrew's Street)
• Cardiff (on Queen Street)
• Chester (on Eastgate Street)
• Derby (on Cornmarket), from the 1940s to the 1980s
• Hull (Whitefriargate)
• Kingston upon Thames (on Wood Street)
• Leeds (on Briggate), from 1908 to 1965
• Liverpool (several locations including Bold Street, Castle Street, Church Street, Dale Street, Redcross Street, Rumford Place, and the corner of Whitechapel & Stanley Street)
• London (at 186 Piccadilly, Fleet Street, Southampton Row, Kingsway, and Holborn)
• Manchester (in Albert Square, Market Street, and St Ann's Square)
• Nottingham (on King Street)
• Oxford (on Cornmarket Street)
• Paris (at 1 Rue de l'Échelle, near Rue de Rivoli)
• Preston (on Fishergate), closed in 1966
• Southport (on Lord Street)
• Richmond (on George Street), from 1974 to 1982
• Windsor (on Thames Street, opposite the Curfew Tower)

Kardomah Products

The Kardomah brand also sold other items besides coffee and tea in their cafes. Some of these included:

• Kardomah Kee-Mun Tea (around 1936)
• Kardomah Tea-Tasting Cabinet (in 1952)
• Other Kardomah Products

Kardomah in Popular Culture

Kardomah Cafés have appeared in movies and songs.

In the 1945 film Brief Encounter, a Kardomah branch is a meeting place. It's where the characters Alec and Laura often meet. This cafe was actually a set built in a film studio.

The Kardomah Cafe in Liverpool became famous because of a song. A local band called The Cherry Boys released a song called "Kardomah Cafe" in 1983. This same Liverpool cafe was also visited by The Beatles. Many other "Merseybeat" music groups from the 1960s also used to go there. They often played at the nearby Cavern Club.