Local tea shops are a cornerstone of the tea world. Indeed, online shops have expanded the availability of incredible teas. Some of my favorite teas are only available online. But finding a local tea shop or tea house has some benefits that an online store cannot offer. So, if you’re lucky enough to live near a local tea shop, here are 4 reason you should check it out!
Shopping locally means that tea shops can order large quantities of tea. The bigger the shipment, the better for the planet. For example, if 100 people ordered a 7 gram sample of tea, that means 100 packages, 100 boxes, lots of air and empty space around the sample, maybe packing materials, and so on. If a tea store is ordering tea, it’s usually in bulk, which greatly reduces the carbon footprint. This is just a very short overview, but between the CO2 levels of freight and air shipping, and the prevalence of 1-or-2-day shipping, it can be much better for the environment to shop locally. Plus, you get extra points if you can walk or ride your bike there!
A tray with a kyusu tea kettle of Japanese green tea and a slice of cake at Umami Café in the Portland Japanese Garden
Support local businesses
It’s a hard time for small businesses. With the upward trend of online shopping, especially with sites like Amazon, local businesses are struggling. In general, these business owners are folks in our community, families that have been there for generations, or someone’s passion project, and they deserve to be supported.
A view of a wall of different Japanese teas (and a person wondering why I’m taking a picture) at Kettl, a tea store in Brooklyn, New York
Create community at a local tea shop
Public spaces are important. They help us connect with people, and create new connections. Also, being in community can help our mental health. Whether you’re sitting by yourself, doing some work, in a one-on-one, or in a large group, try sipping tea in public.
A view of my favorite tea house in New York called Té Company
Discover and learn about teas at a local tea shop
Lastly, one of the best reasons to check out your local tea shop is to try new teas! In general, the folks running the tea shop will have a lot of experience with tea. They can suggest new teas based on your old favorites. Likewise, they may offer tea samples or classes on tea.
A view of a shelf full of tea and the flavor profiles of each tea at Mei Leaf, a tea store in London
In summary, pull up your favorite search engine and see what your local area offers!
When it comes to good quality loose leaf tea, it can be hard to justify the higher cost. There are so many benefits, though: supporting small farms, utilizing more efficient shipping methods, cutting down on the waste used by individually packaged teabags. If you’re still looking to rationalize the higher cost, think about steeping your tea more than once. There are some many benefits to a second or third steep!
Re-steep to cut down on waste
Yes, there are environmentally-conscious tea companies using composable packaging and sachets, but “reduce” is the first word in “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Good quality loose leaf tea can be steeped two or three times. That’s two or three tea bags that say out of landfills and compost bins. I love my little teapot 🥰 It makes the perfect amount for 2 or 3 mugs of tea per brew, and I use the same tea 2 or 3 time. That’s as many as 9 cups of tea, all without the use of teabags.
Steep again to make your tea last longer
Okay, so good quality tea can be pretty costly. When you think about a $4 box of Lipton tea with 30 tea bags compared to a $12 sample pouch from a quality seller, it can be tough to spend the extra money. Another great reason to steep more than once! Stretch out that dollar by stretching out that tea.
Get to know your tea better
Many tea tasters will steep more than once to get a deeper understanding of a tea’s flavor profile. The first steep brings out the more forward notes of a tea. The second can bring out more subtle flavors. The third can reveal some flavors you just couldn’t taste before. It’s kinda magical!
Don’t worry about getting jittery
And maybe the best part, you can drink it all day! Each time you steep the same tea, it decreases in caffeine. So the first brew of the day will pack the biggest punch, while the second and third will be pure sipping pleasure; no jitters.
