Blank Street Coffee: I tried a trendy new coffee shop which opened its largest store globally in Yorkshire - with people queueing around the block for matcha

Ever since, Blank Street coffee has had people queuing around the block for their viral matcha lattes.

Blank Street opened its largest coffee shop in the world, inside 48 Albion Street, converting the Grade II-listed premises spanning two floors with a purpose-built coffee bar as the centrepiece.

With many people opting to sup on a matcha latte this New Year, our reporter Sophie Mei Lan decided to try out Blank Street.

If you’re into your coffee chains, you may remember that this ornate 19th-century stone building had previously been occupied by Starbucks until May last year. It was later taken over by Blank Street and opened in November.

As I went early in the evening on a Monday, pre-rush hour, the queuing was confined to the inside only. With my toddler daughter in tow, it was hard to get in without photo bombing anyone’s ‘shoot.’

The building is pretty spectacular. It features stone carvings by master sculptor Catherine Mawer, who is commemorated with a blue plaque on the outside of the building.

I’m told it’s the drinks here which are deemed most aesthetic for “the grid”.

The people I see snapping photos may enjoy the building as a backdrop, but more than anything, they’re capturing close-ups of the branded drinks, as well as themselves posing with the brightly coloured matcha lattes.

What is matcha? And what are the benefits?

Traditionally matcha is a bright green tea powder used in Japanese tea ceremonies. With a rise in popularity across south east asia and matcha blends it is now booming in popularity in the UK too.

Ceremonial grade matcha has a wide variety of benefits such as being a source of slow release caffeine as well as boosting your overall wellbeing.

Many places use culinary grade matcha for lattes which has less benefits, but Blank Street say theirs is ceremonial grade which means a more premium product.

Blank Street’s interior is minimalist, which showcases the venue’s iconic heritage.

48 Albion Street is also known as Moorlands House, constructed in 1855. The building was originally used as offices by the Leeds and Yorkshire Assurance Company.

While queuing for ten minutes, I spotted some pastries such as croissants, spinach and cheese scrolls, and marmite and cheese scrolls.

The drinks menu includes lattes, cold brew, flat white, and a range of their signature pour matcha blends.

I was served by friendly staff. Unsure what to try, I asked for the two best-selling drinks.

They said the blondie matcha and white chocolate matcha are the most popular drinks, served hot or cold.

I went for the cold versions for the full effect.

You wait at the end counter for your name to be called and the staff pour the matcha in front of you. This is a great opportunity for the social media snappers amongst us to get some content, which is what this experience is about.

We sat downstairs in the side room with a large grand dining table. It has a lovely zen vibe and a much more shared drinking experience than its predecessors.

There’s more seating upstairs, along with a trendy sound system.

The blondie matcha has a smear of Biscoff mixed with vanilla and white chocolate syrup. It was like sipping an Ambrosia-style ice cream drink. It was decadent and delicious.

A few sips and photos, of course, were enough for me. It reminded me much more of the sweet bubble tea I had in Southeast Asia rather than matcha tea.

I then tried the white chocolate matcha latte which was much more bitter with a stronger taste of matcha. Both were very sweet for me as I normally enjoy a black Americano.

They were a real treat, however. Although for a daily pick-me-up, I prefer a strong plain matcha tea.

Soon, Leeds customers will be able to order via the app. The app offers more obvious options in terms of flavours and sweetness levels, which is great for novices like me.