The Festive Artisan Tea Soirée 2025 returned for its highly anticipated second edition with an intimate yet impactful celebration of tea artistry, cultural storytelling, and refined indulgence.
Hosted at The Choate Boutique Hotel, the soirée unfolded as a carefully choreographed expression of intentional luxury, anchored by a signature collaboration between Artisan Infusions, Moët & Chandon, and Whittard of Chelsea.
Curated and organised by Mercy Asiima, Founder of Artisan Infusions and the first distributor of Whittard of Chelsea in the region, the event sought to reframe how tea is experienced, understood, and celebrated in Uganda and beyond.
“The vision was to show people that tea is not limited, boring, or one-dimensional,” said Asiima. “Tea is incredibly versatile. It can be celebratory, social, indulgent, and modern. This soirée was about creating an experience that allows people to feel that.”
At the heart of the experience was an exclusive Moët & Chandon x Whittard of Chelsea Signature Cocktail Collection, an inventive pairing that blended champagne with artisan tea infusions.
Guests were guided through six curated tea expressions, including two champagne cocktails, a gin infusion, and an ice-cream-infused drink, each designed to showcase tea’s adaptability across flavours, textures, and occasions.
“Moët & Chandon’s association with celebration made it the perfect anchor for this edition,” Asiima noted. “Pairing it with Whittard allowed us to unite two heritage brands in a way that felt elevated, unexpected, and experiential.”
The inclusion of alcohol was both deliberate and inclusive, reflecting the realities of Ugandan social culture and broadening tea’s appeal beyond traditional audiences.
By introducing tea within a bar-style menu, the soirée challenged long-held perceptions that tea is niche, gendered, or purely functional.
“Tea deserves space wherever people gather,” Asiima explained. “If tea appeared on a bar menu, for instance, it creates a new entry point. Suddenly, more people are willing to explore it.”
Beyond the aesthetics and indulgence, the Festive Artisan Tea Soirée carried a deeper purpose. Asiima spoke passionately about repositioning tea as a lifestyle product while advocating for value addition within Uganda’s tea industry.
“Some of the best tea in the world comes from this region, yet much of it leaves without being transformed,” she said. “My dream is to create appreciation first. When people experience tea in all its forms, hot, cold, infused, paired, they begin to see its potential. That’s how innovation starts.”
Whittard of Chelsea’s diversity, thoughtful packaging, and commitment to quality served as both inspiration and benchmark, demonstrating what is possible when tea is treated as a craft rather than a commodity.
The choice of venue further reinforced the event’s intention. The Choate Boutique Hotel, nestled within the historic Kampala Club, was selected for its legacy as a place of gathering and exchange, echoing the true spirit of a soirée.
From the moment guests arrived, they were immersed in a layered sensory journey. A live band opened with Ugandan reinterpretations of R&B classics from across the decades before transitioning into East African sounds, creating an atmosphere that felt both nostalgic and contemporary.
Guests embraced the retro glam dress code with effortless elegance, while petite, thoughtfully paired hors d’oeuvres complemented the teas. Attentive service guided attendees through a structured sensory tea ceremony, transforming the gathering into an educational, participatory experience rather than a passive tasting.
Every detail reinforced a singular narrative: tea is not merely consumed, it is experienced.
Now in its second edition, the Festive Artisan Tea Soirée remains intentionally intimate, with a long-term vision of growing into a community-driven platform that offers curated experiences and deeper engagement with tea culture.
As conversations lingered and glasses were raised, the afternoon affirmed the event’s place as a rising cultural marker on Kampala’s lifestyle calendar.