Former Southampton Docks crane drivers open bubble tea shop

Paul Snook and Alex Auld opened their shop Bubble Drop in Eastleigh at the start of October.

The pair opened their first pitch - a trailer in Westquay - more than six years ago after 20 years at the Docks.

Located at Wells Place, the new shop is already a hit with customers.

Inside Bubble Drop (Image: Paul Snook)

Paul, 47, said: “Alex left the Docks to open a Thai restaurant nine years ago and he started selling bubble tea.

“He kept calling me to ask to start a bubble tea business with him. I went on a six month sabbatical to try it out, and it was a massive career change.

“We first took the business along the south coast doing markets and festivals, and we really started to enjoy it.

“We later wanted to find a permanent pitch, and we set up our space at Westquay about six years ago.

“We’ve had such a good response over the years and people kept asking us to open in different places.

“With Covid and the economy it was a risky time. So, we waited and when this space in Eastleigh became available, we thought it was an ideal position.”

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Six months of hard work ensued as Paul and Alex designed and built the shop from scratch.

Both were keen to create a strong community feel too, something Paul is very passionate about.

He said: “We really care about the children and families that visit us.

“We understand the world is not a nice place right now, so people can come here and see us for a chat.

“People specifically come out of their houses to see us, and that’s what sets us apart.

“We are not millionaires, we are not making much money, but we keep the prices as low as we can as our customers are mainly children and families.

“This is a lifestyle business for us, we don’t want to rip off the community and children in Southampton.

“We love being part of the community.

“Everything is about money and likes and comments nowadays and we believe there’s more to life than that.”

Bubble Drop boasts a large menu, with fruit teas and milk teas available.

Bubble tea is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, made by blending tea with milk and fruit juices. 

The Eastleigh store is open 10.30am to 6.30pm, seven days a week, while the Westquay location is open 11am to 6.30pm seven days a week.