Kardomah Cafés were a chain of coffee shops in England, Wales, and a few in Paris, popular from the early 1900s until the 1960s, but now almost defunct. They featured live entertainment provided by string quartets.
The company that created the Kardomah brand began in Pudsey Street, Liverpool in 1844 as the Vey Brothers teadealers and grocers. In 1868 the business was acquired by the newly created Liverpool China and India Tea Company, and a series of brand names was created beginning with Mikado. The Kardomah brand of tea was first served at the Liverpool colonial exhibition of 1887, and the brand was later applied to a range of teas, coffees and coffee houses. The parent company was renamed Kardomah Limited in 1938. The brand was acquired by the Forte Group in 1962, sold to Cadbury/Schweppes/Typhoo in 1971, and became part of Premier Brands some time between 1980 and 1997. The brand still exists, selling items such as instant coffee and coffee whitener.
The Kardomah Cafés in London and Manchester were designed by Sir Misha Black between 1936 and 1950.
Famous real and fictional Kardomah Cafés
Swansea (Castle Street; real): the meeting place of The Kardomah Gang, which included Dylan Thomas; replaced by the present Kardomah Coffee Shop Restaurant in Portland Street
Milford (fictional; a studio set): one of the meeting places used by Alec and Laura in the 1945 film Brief Encounter
Liverpool's Kardomah Cafe just off Stanley street which was open until the late 80s also gained notoriety for the song titled Kardomah Cafe. The song was realised in 1983 by Liverpool group the Cherry Boys, it was written by the guitarist and singer of the group John Byrne who would later go on to join the La's and play on their worldwide hit 'There she goes' This branch was also used by the Beatles, and the many Merseybeat groups of the 1960s, who played in the nearby Cavern Club.
Birmingham (opposite Snow Hill Station, and New Street)
Blackpool (Promenade)
Cambridge (St Andrew's Street)
Cardiff (Queen Street)
Chester (Eastgate Street)
Derby (Cornmarket), 1940s to 1980s
Hull (Whitefriargate)
Leeds (65 to 66 Briggate), 1908 to 1965
Liverpool (corner of Whitechapel & Stanley Street)
London (186 Piccadilly, Fleet Street, Southampton Row, Kingsway, Holborn)
Manchester (Albert Square), 1950s
Manchester (Market Street).
Manchester (St Ann's Square).
Nottingham (King Street)
Oxford (Cornmarket Street)
Paris (1 Rue de l'Echelle, corner of Rue de Rivoli)
Preston (Fishergate), closed 1966
Windsor (Thames St, opposite the Curfew Tower)
Kardomah-branded products
Kardomah Kee-Mun Tea (fl.1936)
Kardomah Tea-Tasting Cabinet (1952)
Kardomah Products
