Twinings’ historical flagship store has reopened with a fresh new concept that invites customers to discover the brand’s unique story - focusing not only on its rich heritage but also on innovation, wellness, lifestyle and ethical sourcing. The experience was designed by creative agency Dalziel & Pow.

Originally opened by Thomas Twining in 1706, the 216 Strand store is London’s oldest tea shop. Today, it’s a popular tourist destination and Twinings’ sole-owned direct-to-consumer store worldwide. The brief was to transform the store from a transactional retail space into the true spiritual home of the Twinings brand. With a broad set of customers visiting the store, creative agency Dalziel & Pow identified shoppers through their mindset - from the ‘tea tourist’ through to the ‘tea aficionado’ - with the aim of always delighting the curious.

The store’s design language has been crafted to honour the brand’s heritage, yet looks and feels undeniably contemporary, layered and unique to the Twinings brand. Lighting has been designed to give the space a warm glow and highlight the product in a way which feels fresh and accessible. Materials like grasscloth, raw oak, brass and stone have been used to give a sense of natural craft, quality and authenticity whilst always making the product the vibrant hero.

We presented several options for the floor tiles to match the brief of a shell mosaic. The chosen design graduates in colour from dark grey to white to create a stunning feature floor. We also supplied a white soldier tile for the front of the paypoint.

Photography by Alicia Clarke.