Growing up with a love for the mountains, Suzanna deepened her connection to the land, by sharing her knowledge with others through blended tea. In 2007, she took her passion further and opened Banff Tea Co., where 25% of profits went to charity. Still it wasn’t until 2009, where Suzanna met Siona Gartshore, who became the manager, and now owner of Banff Tea Co., where this journey really begins. Siona too came from a tea loving family, and put her years of product experience to the test, blending, infusing and teaching tea, ever since.
Inspired by the surrounding Rockies, Banff Tea Co. bares deep roots, rich in the making of great story. Each blend is as vibrant and healthy as the outdoor air, sharing a true connection with the nature, and the land that gifted it to us. It is through tea that we are brought closer to the mountains, and all the tranquility that rest within. When you sip on a cup of their tea, you can almost taste what it was like to grow up surrounded by truly breathtaking, earthy goodness. In fact, most of the blends they create are a nod to the season, the land, and the climate from which it all came.
Committed to their customer, Banff Tea Co. does custom blends on a regular basis, which of course got us really excited. Yet that excitement was taken a few steps further when we found out many of their blends had been created by accident. Black Bear, which happens to be one of their most popular blends, was inspired by an overstock of blackberry leaves, and a few other items, that happened to be close at hand. This black tea blends mountainous blackberry leaves, elderberries, dried black currants, hibiscus, mallow flowers, sunflower petals, cornflower petals and more. Proof, we can live just like the animals do, hunting and gathering what is close by, to create an experience so good we could have sworn we dreamt it up.
Then you take the Banff Earl Grey Snowflake a much lighter than normal, white tea, that touches your taste buds much like a mountainous snowflake would – gently warmed by the heat of your tongue. It’s a nice spin on the traditional earl grey in that the bergamot is paired with jasmine and rose, giving it just enough floral to sweep you up off your feet and let your taste buds explore the all-too-common snow dump that Alberta often sees in the summer months.
New to the box this month was their Rocky Mountain Blend, a black rooibos tea that marries orange peel, dried apple, pieces of strawberry and papaya, coriander seeds, flower petals, blackberry leaves and a few other secrets stashed up their sleeves! This is a crisp and mellow blend, making it perfect the perfect black tea for warmer weather. We love that rooibos and black tea blends are becoming more common!
We can’t wait to see what Banff Tea Co. comes up with next – because who doesn’t love to travel via teacup? Cozied up with a cuppa and some close friends, together we can explore the great Rockies, sip by sip, with more adventures to come. Even though each blend is unique, and tells it’s own story, it is Banff Tea Co.’s commitment to the experience of the land, that has us saying, yes, yes, yes – and what keeps us coming back time and time again. Plus, with all this spring rain we’ve been having, who wouldn’t mind a snowy travel through the Rockies?