Tabby Teas Cat Cafe: Sheffield, UK
Contact Information
Address: 7 Cemetery Rd, Sheffield S11 8FJ, UK
Phone:
Hours: Tue-Fri 10-19, S/S 10-18,Closed Mon
Entrance Fee: £7.50/90 min per person (age 10+)
Ratings
Website / Social Media
Website: tabbyteas.co.uk
Facebook: @tabbyteas
Instagram: tabbyteas
Twitter: @TabbyTeas
Cat vs Cafe (80/20)
Tabby Terrific: Review of Tabby Teas Cat Cafe
I met a lot of wonderful people on my cat cafe tour of the UK, but Charlotte from Tabby Teas stands out.
A fun, energetic and kind cat-lover, she was born to run a cat cafe and her personality and thoughtful nature is apparent in the atmosphere of the cafe. It's a modern, industrial-chic space with concrete floors, exposed brick walls, cool furniture and large sunny windows. The open coffee bar area gives the space a center of gravity, much like how guests gravitate to the kitchen at a party. It was all so inviting and charming, but I was also impressed by the sense of community present- a vibe the big coffee chains seem to force, but at Tabby Teas feels completely natural.
While they have the human element on lock, it's clear a lot of effort has also gone into creating a feline-friendly environment. I loved the vertical nature of the room with plenty of elevated spaces and cushioned sleeping spots for the cats.
Speaking of kitties, there are twelve permanent residents at Tabby Teas, all so lovable and social, it's hard to believe they were rescues. Olaf is the star, a gorgeous long-haired ginger with a playful personality, but some of my other favorites include Vince, a beautiful white cat that is also hearing-challenged, Tripod, a three legged, belly-rub-loving tabby and one of the best cat names of all time, Jigglelump, a short-haired ginger with a serious taste for cake.
While I love cats first and foremost, I love coffee nearly as much and have sadly consumed many cups of inferior cat cafe java. So you can imagine how thrilled I was over my cup of Frazer coffee, a local artisan roaster that clearly knows what they are doing. Not to be outdone by the coffee, the cakes were also excellent, especially the Victoria Sponge-- I can attest that I have not a tastier slice in the UK!
But what really sets Tabby Teas apart from other cat cafes are the people. All of the staff are lovely (including her husband, Michael), but Charlotte is exceptional. I was able to speak with her at length about all things cat cafe, which was such a treat since there was often a language barrier when I visited cat cafes in Asia.
While they have only been open since July, 2017, Charlotte was a wealth of knowledge as we discussed how to create a cat-friendly space (lots of places to get up high), how she was able to do an open coffee bar area (food is all prepared off-site), the animal charities she works with (Mill House Animal Sanctuary & Pet Samaritans) and, of course, loads of stories about the cats.
Sheffield might not seem like the place to find one of best cat cafes out there, but Tabby Teas excels in all areas. I can only encourage you to go and see for yourself!
Date Visited: 11/2/17
