The perfect blend with the UNSW Tea and Coffee Society

For those wanting to brew connections and mingle over a cuppa, the Tea and Coffee Society is the perfect fix.

Published on the 24 June 2026

Members of the UNSW Tea and Coffee Society trying out drinks

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What exactly is the UNSW Tea and Coffee Society?

There are three guarantees in this little thing we do called life: death, taxes and requiring some caffeine in either tea or coffee form to get us through the day.

For UNSW students, getting that daily dose of caffeine to get through all those classes is almost a must, which is why it should surprise no one that the University has a thriving Tea and Coffee Society (TACSoc).

Established around 2013 (the history is murky), TACSoc originally began life as separate tea and coffee societies before deciding to merge because, well, it just made sense. Enjoying a cuppa or two is the main thing this society does, but there's more to it than sipping on drinks.

"In our constitution, there are three main things. Firstly, drinking tea and coffee together, sharing it with friends, and having a good chat," explains Sue Wang, a third-year Bachelor of Science/Education (Secondary) student and President of TACSoc.

"[Secondly], just being a good social society for anyone to drop by at any time, [and lastly] focusing on bringing international drinks so people can try things from different cultures, and just educating people more about tea and coffee."

With upwards of 250 members in the society, fellow tea and coffee lovers will find plenty of caffeine-minded people to bond with. But don't mistake this as a formal society where high tea and drinking from fancy cups are the norm. This is no Downton Abbey.

"There's just so many different types of coffee [and] so many different types of tea, there's bound to be something that you like from both."

Rianna Katyal
UNSW TACSoc Secretary

Third-year Biotechnology (Honours) student and TACSoc Secretary, Rianna Katyal, says that the casual vibe has been quite the surprise for new members: "Not many people knew it would be so casual. Some people thought, 'Oh, maybe I have to attend every single event,' but that might just be a misunderstanding of how societies work in general."

Master of IT student and Events Subcommittee member Michael Pham concurs with the society's chill vibe: "When I first joined, I expected the society to be a lot more formal, in the sense that you were trying really exquisite coffees and high teas, but it's [actually] been very casual."

Brewing community, one event at a time

As promised by the name, TACSoc holds its flagship event at the Colombo Foyers. Fittingly called Cup in Colombo (CiC), this weekly event is all about trying new kinds of drinks in a relaxed setting and just hanging out with people.

"It's a very casual [hangout] in Colombo [with] a cup of tea or coffee [and] it's free for members. Actually, anyone can just come by!" explains Rianna.

"It's a point of common interest. If you're a tea or coffee aficionado, you'd both be there admiring the [drinks]."

Michael Pham
UNSW TACSoc Events Subcommittee

"You get free unlimited refills [and] we run it for two hours every week," Sue adds. "We try to make it very flexible week to week, so we run it on different days on odd and even weeks. [This way] more people can come by and they don't have to be there for the full two hours."

In addition to the weekly CiC hangout, the society also holds a big yumcha get-together and a ticketed high tea event during the year. Both are incredibly popular among members and are a great way to unwind, especially after exam period.

Beyond eating and drinking, there are events where members get to learn the ins and outs of brewing drinks, as well as many collaborations with other societies.

"We've had a collaboration with the Cat Appreciation Society, where we went to a cat cafe," recalls Rianna. "We also have our own individual events. Last year, we had something called 'Blends with Benefits' and an event called 'Mass Tea Full Brew'. It's kind of like Masterchef [where] you make your own brew in a mini competition.

"So we're trying to do more events that steer away from just serving tea and coffee, and are more interactive. We also have some educational ones. For example, we've gotten sponsors to come and they've taught people how to brew coffee."

End-of-term yumcha is one of TACSoc's most popular events.

Serving caffeine, conversation and purpose

Tea and coffee often function as a social icebreaker for many. For those unsure about joining TACSoc, think of the drinks as a starting point for conversation. The people are incredibly friendly, and if you're worried about not having anything in common with others, you're there enjoying the same drinks so that's already something to talk about.

"[Tea and coffee] is not something that requires you to have extreme knowledge, but it's also something that opens up that avenue of 'I can learn more about this stuff', or 'I can try new things,'" explains Rianna. "Some people simply enjoy drinking it, and others are really big enthusiasts about it and that's great. What's good about [tea and coffee] is that it's so simple, and it's a way to speak with people [whom] you wouldn't have otherwise."

"I wouldn't have spoken to Rianna without the society," Sue quips.

"It's a space where a lot of people who might not actually have common interests can meet and talk over something as simple as tea and coffee.

"There are a lot of misconceptions, like, 'oh, I need to be an expert.' Not at all! You just need to drink it."

Rianna Katyal
UNSW TACSoc Secretary

More important than consuming caffeine in delicious flavours (as hard as that is to believe), students can find a sense of purpose and belonging within TACSoc, whether it's meeting their people or just learning how to juggle multiple things at once.

For Michael, who graduated from his undergraduate degree back in 2014, TACSoc is both an avenue to hang out with his peers and to pass on any wisdom to anyone who needs it.

"I'm making up for lost time, but I'm also [trying to] pay it forward and help those who probably care more about their undergrad than they need to," he explains.

"It gave me the opportunity to speak [with] the younger generation and provide a helping hand in that nice uncle kind of way."

"I would probably be a bum without TACSoc forcing me to go into Uni for in-person events," laughs Sue. "Joining any society in general is a great way to meet new people and make friends, but [this society] bonds around such a general interest in tea and coffee that you meet people you'd never [normally] get to meet.

"I do a double degree, but I'm still meeting so many new people who I wouldn't have met without joining [TACSoc]."

The future of the society and coffee culture

For those expecting separate tea and coffee contingents within the society, the reality is that members tend to jump back and forth between the two with no drama. As Michael notes, there's a "pretty big" range of teas and coffee at their events, so everyone gets a taste of pretty much everything.

Rianna adds: "At our Cup in Colombo, we don't have a set menu either. We change it up every single week [and it] diversifies everyone's palette."

In addition to expanding everyone's palette, the society also tries to lean into the educational aspect of it all, weird facts and all.

"Every year, we put out a lot of infographics [on social media] so people can learn about tea and coffee," says Sue. "The most memorable posts are the ones about poop coffee and a tea that's a hallucinogen. Is it called ayahuasca?"

Rianna nods and adds, laughing: "I wish it were legal, I would definitely give it a go!"

With such a thriving community, TACSoc has plans to keep things growing at a nice clip and be even more open to everyone and anyone keen to chill over drinks.

"We just want to continue being that space on campus for anyone to drop by at any time and have a drink and chat with us," says Rianna. "This image is something very important to us and we want to maintain it. We want the society to keep going for as long as possible, and we want people to keep coming."

As for the future of tea and coffee culture?

"A general obsession around matcha," laughs Michael.

"We're a very chill and wholesome society, and we want to keep that vibe up at our events [and] when [new members] join our Discord and social media pages. We want them to feel like they're very welcome to come at any time."

Sue Wang
UNSW TACSoc President

What members say about the UNSW Tea and Coffee Society

To get a fuller picture of what the Tea and Coffee Society experience is like, we also asked some members to share some quick thoughts with Student News.

Emily Chau (2nd year, Engineering/Arts): "It's more than a place that can offer the occasional discount on your beverage, it's great for expanding a niche you're in and to be able to find your new daily drink."
Ryan Chung (2nd year, Actuarial Studies/Commerce): "I believe some people are worried about not fitting in when they barely know anything about tea or coffee, but in reality most events are just casual mingling sessions with some super cool people, while trying different brews. It’s always full of chill vibes and everyone is very friendly."
Oscar Yang (2nd year, Commerce/Economics): "You don’t actually have to love tea and coffee. Like me, you can just be an average enjoyer or maybe just drink water and still get along with the people there."
Rianna Katyal (3rd year, Biotechnology Honours): "That we are highkey all super nerdy and there are so many friendly individuals, and there’s a lot that goes into organising events :3"
Emily: "It has allowed me to be more involved with other members of the university through a shared interest in drinks, and it often provides many opportunities to connect and to go new places with the promise of food."
Ryan: "It gives me something to look forward to each week! I like that I can go to CiCs as a bit of a break from lectures and studying to socialise and see friends (and snag some coffee!). It’s a very nice social outlet amidst hectic university schedules."
Oscar: "I’ve met a lot of kind people that I share courses classes and experiences with, and also I got some drink deals which have expanded my drink options."
Rianna: "So many friends, lovely people, felt like I was doing something for others and gaining something too, [plus a] sense of community."
Emily: "I have gained many new friends who I can casually hit up at any time for drinks, people who live in different areas also share hidden gems in their local area."
Ryan: "Given the social and welcoming nature of their events, I made many new friends and gained some confidence in just talking to strangers (it helped that we all enjoyed tea and coffee too!). I’ve also slowly been picking up on tips for better coffee bean extraction just by observing the process."
Oscar: "I’ve gotten better at talking to new people under the pretence of tea and coffee to spur further conversations and as a bolster to know people better."
Rianna: "Marketing skills, definitely confidence has grown, much easier to chat with people and put myself out there, didn’t expect a relationship to come out of it too 😭"
Emily: "I love how everyone shares the copious amounts of tea and coffee they drink and the lengths that people will travel to in order to try something new and expand their horizons."
Ryan: "The last CiC of this term, Debbie was going around putting TACSoc stickers on everyone’s back without them noticing, and it eventually devolved into everyone trying to stick them on someone else while watching their own backs (I had about 20 on me at some point)."
Oscar: "I went to the O-Week stand and I won the exact badge I wanted!"
Rianna: "Probably just CiC 😭, interactions with people, getting to draw on a printed out banner."
Emily: "CiC gives me something to look forward to in between my class breaks."
Ryan: "Absolutely! Even though I could only attend their events on Mondays, their CiCs this term gave me such a great chance to unwind after a heavy maths lecture and take some time to relax with some drinks and friends. It was a convenient opportunity to socialise and have some lighthearted fun amidst a busy day."
Oscar: "Yes, it has allowed me to relax at society events and enjoy trying new drinks, and enriched my experience in the Sydney CBD and my knowledge of it."
Rianna: "For sure! I feel more motivated to go to uni if there's an event or CiC :3"