Series 01: Sooji Im

Series 01: Sooji Im

For the first in our series, we spoke with Sooji Im, a De Beauvoir local and founder of be–oom, a London tea brand featuring naturally sourced teas from small Korean farms.

What did you want to do as a child, and what do you do now?

I always wanted to do something that had some sort of social impact - doctor, journalist, writer, etc. Now I run two Korean tea brands in London;  be-oom and CHA-OOM.

What do you love most about what you do?

Getting to introduce so many different people to Korean tea, seeing the surprise and reaction by the customers and interacting with different brands/partners and hearing their inspirations and stories.

How do you balance life and work?

When running your own business, work often becomes life - I chose tea, because it's something I could see myself enjoying both at work and in life at once. I find that it heals me, even when it's work-related. It brings me to a quiet place.

What’s your daily uniform?

A white shirt and jeans/trousers or a very simple white or black dress.

What are you local to, and what's the best spot?

I'm local to De Beauvoir. I really like this gastropub called The Baring. It's quiet and cosy, and it has an incredible food menu, which is very important to me. They have a set lunch menu that changes weekly.

“I focus on taking in every moment, learning and experiencing something new today and thinking about how I can make that valuable in the future.”

What's your favourite piece of art (regardless of medium, e.g. painting, design, movie)?

My favourite movie of all times is 'In the Mood for Love' by Wong Kar-Wai - it's a very subtle, not-so-obviously-romantic movie set in the 1960s in Hong Kong.

What are you currently coveting, reading, watching and listening to?

What I'm coveting: a beach holiday. Reading: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Watching: Gilmore Girls for the 25th time probably (it always just plays in the background), and this may come as a surprise, but I'm watching a lot of Korean baseball at the moment! Listening to: Frank Ocean and NewJeans.

“Have a life full of

the smallest, most silly

and meaningless moments.”

What's your favourite smell or sound?

Smell of my bunny - her name is Hazelnut and I often feel like she actually smells like hazelnut.

What is the biggest luxury in your life?

A short getaway - 3 to 4 days typically by the sea, reading books and eating simple but good food.

How do you strive to live a meaningful life?

I used to think very long-term - say 5, 10 years down the line - about where I wanted to be next and where I have to be, to be successful. That way of thinking created a lot of anxiety. Now I focus on taking in every moment, learning and experiencing something new today and thinking about how I can make that valuable in the future. Appreciating every moment sounds like hard work, but it's simply that it's meaningful to have a life full of the smallest, most silly and meaningless moments.