Kardomah Cafés facts for kids
Kardomah Cafés were a famous chain of coffee shops. They were popular in England, Wales, and even a few in Paris. These cafes were well-known from the early 1900s until the 1960s. People loved to visit them, especially because they often had live music from string quartets. Today, almost all of them have closed down.
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History of Kardomah Cafés
The company that started the Kardomah brand began in Liverpool in 1844. It was first called Vey Brothers and sold tea and groceries. In 1868, a new company, the Liverpool China and India Tea Company, took over the business. They created several brand names, including Mikado.
The Kardomah brand of tea was first introduced at an exhibition in Liverpool in 1887. Later, the name Kardomah was used for different teas, coffees, and the coffee shops themselves. The main company changed its name to Kardomah Limited in 1938.
In 1962, a large company called Forte Group bought the Kardomah brand. It was sold again in 1971 to Cadbury/Schweppes/Typhoo. Later, between 1980 and 1997, it became part of Premier Brands. The Kardomah brand still exists today, selling products like instant coffee and coffee whitener.
Famous Designs and the Swansea Cafe
Some Kardomah Cafés in London and Manchester were designed by a famous architect named Sir Misha Black. He worked on them between 1936 and 1950.
The very last Kardomah cafe that is still open is in Swansea, South Wales. The first Kardomah in Swansea was on High Street. It was known as 'The Kardomah Exhibition Cafe & Tea Rooms'. In 1908, it moved to Castle Street.
The Castle Street cafe was a special meeting place for a group of friends called The Kardomah Gang. This group included the famous writer Dylan Thomas. The cafe was built where a church once stood, which is where Dylan Thomas's parents got married in 1903.
Sadly, the Castle Street cafe was bombed during World War II in February 1941. A new Kardomah Coffee Shop Restaurant opened in Portland Street in 1957. This cafe still looks almost exactly as it did when it opened. It has original Formica tables with coffee bean designs, cool "sputnik" style coat racks, mosaic tiled columns, and dark wood walls. The Luporini family has run this cafe since 1970, and it is a much-loved place in Swansea.
Other Kardomah Cafe Locations
Kardomah Cafés were found in many towns and cities, including:
- Birmingham (opposite Snow Hill Station, and New Street)
- Blackpool (Promenade)
- Cambridge (St Andrew's Street)
- Cardiff (Queen Street)
- Chester (Eastgate Street)
- Derby (Cornmarket), from the 1940s to the 1980s
- Hull (Whitefriargate)
- Kingston upon Thames (Wood Street)
- Leeds (65 to 66 Briggate), from 1908 to 1965
- Liverpool (30 Bold Street), (37 Castle Street), (21 Church Street), (42 Dale Street), (14 Redcross Street), (1-3 Rumford Place), (corner of Whitechapel & Stanley Street)
- London (186 Piccadilly, Fleet Street, Southampton Row, Kingsway, Holborn)
- Manchester (Albert Square), 1950s
- Manchester (Market Street)
- Manchester (St Ann's Square)
- Nottingham (King Street)
- Oxford (Cornmarket Street)
- Paris (1 Rue de l'Échelle, corner of Rue de Rivoli)
- Preston (Fishergate), closed 1966
- Southport (Lord Street)
- Richmond (George Street) 1974-1982
- Windsor (Thames St, opposite the Curfew Tower)
Kardomah-Branded Products
Over the years, Kardomah also sold various products, such as:
- Kardomah Kee-Mun Tea (around 1936)
- Kardomah Tea-Tasting Cabinet (1952)
- Other Kardomah Products
See also
- Lyons Corner House - another chain of tea shops from the same time.
