Samovar Tea House was established in 2011, taking inspiration from European, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern tea cultures.
Our loose tea brand is now online! We have a huge range of teas, as well as coffee, hot chocolate, teaware and gifts available to purchase right here on our website. UK-wide delivery is available and we offer cakes for local delivery too.
We source our extensive range of loose teas from all over the world, as well as creating many new exclusive blends ourselves – look out for our ‘house blend’ symbol throughout the shop! 
From smoky Lapsang Souchong to fruity Tisanes, unusual Oolongs to complex Herbal blends, our vast range of teas are sourced and chosen personally to ensure the highest quality.
Our busy little café in Ely, Cambridgeshire was open from 2012 to 2020, but we closed during the covid-19 pandemic and the café is now permanently closed. Thank you so much to everyone, especially our regulars, for making the café a wonderful experience for the past 8 years!
Please do read our statement here about why we have decided to go online-only.
WHAT IS A SAMOVAR?
A Samovar, literally meaning self boiler in Russian, is an invention entirely devoted to the consumption and enjoyment of tea. Although synonymous with Russia, other nations have a Samovar tradition – Turkey and Iran, for example.
The oldest ceramic Samovar was found in Azerbaijan and dates from around 3,700 years ago. Ancient Samovars have also been discovered in Egypt and China.
The large capacity of the Samovar gives special emphasis to tea drinking being a communal and social activity. The careful workmanship in every Samovar is a tribute to and reflection of the special place tea has in the lives of people all around the world. Traditionally, a Samovar contains an inner pipe into which solid burning fuel is put in order to heat up the surrounding water. Usually a small teapot full of a concentrated tea is put on top of the samovar. A little of this tea is then topped up with the hot water.
Please note – our teas come from all over the world. They may have been prepared in environments which handle nuts.