Tea Talk

It’s that time of year again! Fresh notebooks, new backpacks, sharpened pencils, excited kids… and the inevitable return of the little human petri dishes. Because once school starts, kids are suddenly sharing everything: pencils, desks, snacks, water fountains, and every single germ in the building. I can practically hear the collective parental sigh: “Here we go again…” So this year, instead of waiting until everyone is already sniffling, coughing, and complaining about a scratchy throat, let’s get a little ahead of the game. Building a wellness routine before the classroom bugs start circulating makes a whole lot more sense than...

There are few traditions as charming or as delicious as Afternoon Tea. It’s a chance to slow down, enjoy wonderful food, sip exceptional tea, and spend quality time with friends. In a world that always seems to be rushing, afternoon tea reminds us that sometimes the best moments happen when we simply pause. Where Did This Beloved Tradition Begin? The story starts in the 1840s with Anna, the Duchess of Bedford. During the Victorian era, lunch was served early and dinner wasn’t until eight or nine in the evening. By mid-afternoon, the Duchess regularly found herself feeling peckish. Her solution...

Last week, we talked about how to tell if your tea has gone stale. This week, let’s talk about how to prevent that from happening in the first place! If you missed last weeks newsletter, here is the link to it on my website: Whether you’ve just bought a brand new blend or you’re stocking up on your everyday favorites, proper storage makes all the difference in keeping your tea tasting as vibrant and delicious as the day it was blended. To keep your tea at its best, you need to protect it from its four sworn enemies: Light: Sunshine...

Have you ever found a forgotten bag or tin of tea hiding in the back of your cabinet and wondered, “Is this still good?” You’re definitely not alone! This is one of the most common questions I get asked in the shop. The good news? Tea doesn’t typically “expire” like milk or bread. The bad news? It can lose its flavor, aroma, and magic over time. Most teas are perfectly safe to drink long after their “best by” date, but freshness is where the real flavor lives! The Shelf Life of Loose-Leaf Tea On average, loose-leaf tea lasts 6 months...

I came across this fascinating study on NutritionFacts.org and wanted to share it with you. "Within just one hour of drinking a single cup (200ml or 8 ounces) of green tea, we can significantly cut down on the rate of DNA damage in our cells. This is because green tea significantly boosts the activity of a DNA repair enzyme in our body that can fix DNA damage. Increasing tea consumption by three cups a day may decrease the risk of premature death from all causes put together by 24%, which is the equivalent of adding about two years onto your...