Two women have joined forces to open a luxurious tea shop.

Metrodeco Tea Salon in Upper St James's Street, Brighton, is designed to resemble a 1930s Parisian café.

The shop will stock a huge variety of teas with intriguing names such as Deliciously Decadent, The Devil Is A Woman and Graham Greene And Chocolate. It will also sell art deco furniture.

The idea for the shop came when Maggie Morgan, of Freshfields Road, Brighton, was thinking about diversifying her existing furniture shop in Upper St James's Street.

Her friend Helen Wilkinson, of Stanford Road, Brighton, suggested becoming her business partner and turning the ground floor into a tea shop.

The women have spent three months fitting out the business and ordering stock.

Helen, a trained massage therapist, said: "Tea is making a massive comeback in Brighton after the 15-year stranglehold coffee has had on this country because of huge chains like Starbucks.

"But these days people don't just want builders' tea. That's partly because we're becoming more discerning but it's also because we realise the proven health benefits associated with the different leaves.

"At Metrodeco we're offering black tea which lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease, or green tea for increased metabolism, healthier gums and a better memory. And we've got many others, including white teas and infusions.

"I'm confident this is the sort of business people will want to relax in, regardless of the credit crunch."