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Twinings has relaunched its flagship central London location on the Strand as a concept store with a tasting experience and interactive displays.

The 216 Strand store, originally opened in 1706, now has a tasting bar that sits at the end of the store. Large-scale digital screens act as a window into tea plantations showing slow-moving images of gardens and herb fields to create an atmospheric space. Visitors to the product source will be invited to touch, smell and taste the tea during the entire brewing process.

Four "moments of curiosity" have been created to elevate the consumer journey from a traditional retail experience. The "wellbeing" moment invites customers to place their hands on a dome that represents their desired state of wellbeing, triggering animations that detail product ingredients and tea blends as well as lifestyle tips. 

The "sourced with care" display tells the story of Twinings' ethical sourcing programme and community initiatives. "Blenders' stories" focuses on six of the brand's master blenders, talking about their favourite blends and their experiences working with Twinings. 

The final touchpoint, "pioneering spirit", maps out the history of the brand through a collection of stories told through time, including the history of the Twinings family. 

The basement houses a private tea-tasting bar where customers can pre-book a masterclass or hold private events. The bar can seat 10 for a personalised tea experience with bespoke tea blends. It is decorated with oil paintings of the Twinings family hanging on the heritage blue walls in the intimate space.

Stephen Twining, a 10th generation family member and director of corporate relations, said: "Twinings has always been extremely proud of having the world's oldest dry tea and coffee shop, and this has never been more true. This extensive redesign will give all our visitors a chance to better understand the skills and good work we do at Twinings, while walking in the footsteps of many notable customers."

Creative agency Dalziel & Pow worked with Twinings to craft the concept and are delivering the project.

The reimagined flagship store is now open with social distancing measures in place.