Equal Tea in Urmston is much more than a café. With great value food, a dedicated children’s menu and a powerful mission creating employment opportunities for people with additional support needs, this is one local business we’re incredibly happy to support.
There are some places that serve great food and coffee, and then there are places that make a genuine difference within their community. Equal Tea in Urmston manages to do both. This welcoming neighbourhood café has been created to provide meaningful training, real workplace experience and sustainable routes into employment for people with learning disabilities, autistic people and individuals with assessed support needs. It’s a brilliant local café with an even more important purpose, and one we’re incredibly happy to support. A family-friendly café in the heart of Urmston Located on Church Road in Urmston , Equal Tea is an easy place to stop for breakfast, lunch, coffee or something sweet while you’re out with the kids. The menu includes speciality teas and coffees alongside breakfasts, freshly prepared sandwiches, jacket potatoes, salads, soup and homemade bakes. Families are really well catered for too, with a dedicated children’s menu at genuinely reasonable prices . Little ones can choose from options including eggs on toast for £3 , a small granola bowl for £3 , mini breakfast barms from £3.50 , small jacket potatoes from £3 and children’s sandwiches for £5 . There are also vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and other dietary options across the menus, with allergen information available from the team. For grown ups, breakfasts start from around £5.50 , with options including breakfast barms, breakfast bagels, avocado on toast and a breakfast burrito. There are also sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes, soup, cakes, cookies and tray bakes if you’re visiting later in the day. More than just somewhere to eat The space itself feels fresh, calm and welcoming, but it’s the people and the story behind Equal Tea that make it particularly special. Equal Tea was created in response to the significant barriers many people with learning disabilities can face when trying to enter employment. The team wanted to create somewhere people could build confidence, discover their strengths, gain meaningful experience and take real steps towards sustainable paid work. The story behind Equal Tea The project was inspired by a statistic its founders felt could not be ignored: approximately 94% of people with a learning disability in the UK are unemployed , despite many wanting to work and having the ability, enthusiasm and determination to succeed with the right support. Behind that figure are thousands of people whose skills and potential are too often overlooked. From that idea, the Equal Tea Project was born. Real training in a working café Equal Tea has been designed to help bridge the gap between education, support services and the workplace. Each year, 12 learners take part in a structured 12 month programme within the café. Rather than learning solely in a classroom, participants train inside a fully operational hospitality business while working alongside experienced professionals in a supportive and inclusive environment. Throughout the programme, learners experience different areas of the business, helping them develop recognised hospitality skills while discovering the roles that best suit their individual interests and strengths. It provides something incredibly valuable: genuine workplace experience with the right level of support , helping learners prepare for sustainable paid employment. Why your visit genuinely matters When you visit Equal Tea, you’re not simply supporting another independent café. Every coffee, breakfast, lunch or slice of cake helps support a project providing valuable training, building confidence and creating greater employment opportunities for people who can face significant barriers when entering the workplace. And importantly for families, supporting that mission doesn’t mean compromising on the experience. You can enjoy good food, affordable children’s options and a relaxed café while helping support something with a much bigger purpose. We think Equal Tea is a wonderful addition to Urmston and a brilliant e