FAQs

What is Manhua Cha?

We are a bubble tea company, serving refreshing and delicious bubble tea! Established in June 2016, we travelled the length and breadth of the UK, serving bubble tea from our custom built catering trailer. August 2018 saw us open our first permanent shop in the heart of Newcastle City Centre, located at Stack Newcastle, a shipping container village with a variety of retail units and street food venders. Stack is located at the bottom of Northumberland Street, one of the busiest high streets in the UK.

Unfortunately during the pandemic we were forced to shut our shops, but that now allows us to focus all our efforts into packing and shipping online orders as fast as possible!

While traveling the UK serving our bubble tea, we were saddened to hear that many of our customers couldn’t get bubble tea in their home town. We immediately made it our mission to make bubble tea more accessible, and created 'make at home' bubble tea kits!

What does Manhua Cha mean?

'Manhua' are Chinese comics produced in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The word "manhua", literally translating to "impromptu sketches", is originally an 18th-century term used in Chinese literati painting. It became popular in Japan as manga in the early 19th century. Cha means tea. So our name means ‘Comic Tea’!

What is bubble tea?

Bubble tea is a fruity or milky tea-based drink, created in the 1980s in Taiwan. What makes the drink very unique is that you get ‘toppings’ which are added to your drink. These toppings can range from traditional tapioca pearls, to popping juice balls, which when the drink is drank through a fat straw, are eaten at the same time as being drank!

What is the Use By Date on my Bubble Tea Kit? 

All of our bubble tea ingredients have a shelf life of around 3 months. However, 1 Hour Cook Tapioca will only last for 6 weeks. 

Is bubble tea suitable for vegetarians or vegans?

YES. Everything we serve is suitable for vegetarians. The only thing not suitable for vegans are our milk teas. Our juice balls are made from a seaweed extract.

I am a vegan/vegetarian, can I still order a bubble tea kit?

Yes! All of our fruit teas and toppings are vegan friendly. Our jellies are actually made from a coconut pulp. Unfortunately at the moment we are unable to offer a vegan friendly milk tea. The flavoured powders we use contain dairy. This is something we would like to be able to offer in the future.

What are "poppin’ juice balls"?

They are little balls of juice that pop in your mouth when bitten into. Traditionally found as a topping in bubble tea, we have developed them into their own product to be used however you like. They are a great addition to any drink, or go well on desserts, such as ice cream and yoghurts.

Do the bubbles dissolve/melt?

They aren’t designed to dissolve, however they will eventually if they are left in a drink for a long period of time! We’re talking a month or two! They will start to break down if kept in a drink which is kept at temperatures of more than 80 degrees Celsius.

What are the juice balls made from?

Our juice balls are made from a seaweed extract. This means that they are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. We always recommend that you read the label though!

Where do you deliver to?

We currently deliver anywhere in the UK.

How long will my order take to arrive?

Each order is custom made and hand packed using premium ingredients from Taiwan and Europe. Orders can take 3-5 working days to be despatched and 2-3 days to be delivered subject to courier delays.

How much is delivery?

Shipping charges: 

  • £3.45 - Royal Mail 2nd Class Tracked
  • £5.95 - DPD Tracked
  • Free - Royal Mail 2nd Class Delivery on orders over £45

    What delivery method do you use?

    We use various Royal Mail services and DPD. 

    RETURNS

    You have 14 calendar days to return an item from the date you received it. You must notify us of your intention to return your item as soon as possible. Where possible, before sending an item back, please email pictures of your item, your reason for returning, and order details to hello@manhuacha.com and wait for a response. To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. Your item must be in the original packaging. Your item needs to have the receipt or proof of purchase.

    How long to orders take to arrive?

    We are a small family run business with a very small team working in the online store, currently 2-3 members of staff. This allows us to keep our prices so competitive. Orders generally take 2-4 working days to process and ship. Once your order is shipped you will receive an email with your tracking information.

    What is a working day?

    As we are a small family run business with a small team we work 'standard office' days. These are Monday - Friday 9am-5pm. Our online team don't work weekends.

    I have placed my order over the weekend, what will happen?

    If you placed your order over the weekend your order will be picked up by the online team when they return to work on Monday. Your order will be placed in the queue and processed within 2-4 working days.

    I need to get in touch with you on a weekend

    As our online office is closed on a weekend the online team will get back to you when they return to work on Monday. if your enquiry is something our shop based team can help with they will get back to you when they can. 

    Can I order online and collect in store?

    Sadly with our shop being closed due to Covid-19 restrictions we cannot offer a collection service.

    I'm buying multiple kits as gifts for different people. How will they arrive?

    As with most online retailers, multiple different products will arrive in the same box. This allows us to keep our products competitively priced and avoids wasted packaging. If you need certain items separated please get in touch and this can be arranged for a small additional charge. The best way to contact us is by emailing our customer support team - hello@manhuacha.com.

    How can I find out what events you’ll be attending?

    You can find this information on our events page of this site. Alternatively sign up to our mailing list and like us on social media (Facebook and Instagram) to be kept up to date with our events.

    Do you have a shop?

    Unfortunately we closed our store in Newcastle during the pandemic and currently have no plans to reopen, so we are focusing all our efforts into online orders.

    Will there be more comics?

    YES! The Manhua Cha comic book universe is a huge part of our lives. If you’re an artist or writer, get in touch and find out how you can help us expand it.

    How do your mystery snack bundles work?

    You will receive a random selection from our range of international drinks, sweets and snacks. No two boxes will be the same!

    I have some dietary requirements but would like a mystery box.

    No problem. There's a section on the website where you can inform us of any dietary requirements when placing your order, and we'll make selections accordingly.

    Is bubble tea healthy?

    Bubble tea is definitely a drink to be enjoyed in moderation! There are some health benefits of drinking green or assam black tea, which we use in our bubble tea kits. However there is some sugar in all of the drinks. 

    Can I have multiple flavours of bubble tea in the 4 drink care package?

    No. The reason we are able to provide the 4 drink care package at such a competitive price is because of how little packaging is used. If we were to offer multiple flavours, this would result in an increased cost for packaging & time, which would make this product more expensive.

    I have accidentally not selected my flavours when ordering!

    If no flavours are selected when you placed your order, we will contact you. If we do not receive a response within 2 weeks from the date we first make contact with you, we will unfortunately have to cancel your order and issue a refund.

    What happens if my order arrives damaged or something is missing?

    We do everything we can to ensure the safe arrival of your order, however sometimes unfortunately things can become damaged during transit. If you receive a damaged parcel, please send us a picture of the damaged parcel & items, and we will arrange replacements to be sent.

    Should something be missing from your order, please send a picture of what you have received, and we will look into the missing items.

    I have put the wrong shipping address!

    No problem. We can change this for you if your parcel hasn’t been dispatched! Send us an email hello@manhuacha.com and we’ll make the changes on our end.

    If your order has already been dispatched to the wrong address, we will need to wait for the order to be returned to us by the carrier, and we will need to charge you for re-delivery.
    You are welcome to cancel the order at this point if you do not want to pay another delivery charge, but we will not be able to refund for the first incorrect delivery attempt that was made. 

    What is the shelf life like?

    Most bubble ingredients have a shelf life of around 3 months from the date of purchase. Tapioca is the only exception which has a shelf life of around 6 weeks.

    What are 'Add on' products in my cart?

    Some of our products have 'add on' items, such as additional toppings or fast cook tapioca. If you wish to purchase one of these additional items on the product page, please ensure the extra product is still in your cart at checkout. If the 'add on' product isn’t visible in your shopping cart, we won't be able to take payment for it. If there is no payment taken for the extra product, then we will be unable to send it.

    I have received 1 hour cook tapioca instead of fast cook!

    The likelihood is that the additional fast cook tapioca product wasn't in your cart when checking out. If the Fast Cook Tapioca 'Extra product' is removed from your basket, you will receive 1 Hour Cook tapioca  instead, as no payment was made for the extra cost of fast cook tapioca.

    You can check this by logging into your account or by checking your order confirmation email. If you think this is a mistake, please email us at hello@manhuacha.com with your order number and we'll look into it for you.

    Is there an age limit?

    There is no age limit on the products we sell. However, we would recommend children under 5 are supervised while eating toppings due to the size.

    What’s in the box?

    You will receive everything needed to make bubble tea (except hot water and ice). This includes tea bags, ingredients and straws if selected. You will also receive simple step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process of making delicious bubble tea at home.

    Are they easy to make?

    Our bubble tea sets have been designed to be super easy to make! It’s as simple as brewing the tea, mixing the ingredients together, and cooling with ice.

    I can't decide what flavour combo to pick!

    There is no right or wrong combo, just select whichever flavours you think sound yummy! But if it helps, our most popular flavours are: 

    • Mango Fruit Tea + Strawberry Juice Balls
    • Strawberry Milk Tea + Passion Fruit Juice Balls