Melbourne tea hub Impala and Peacock has launched its first range of loose leaf tea, an exclusive variety of top-quality blends created by owner and tea connoisseur Sarah de Witt.
The new boutique range – comprising 10 traditional teas, tisanes and wellbeing blends – comes in response to the incredible success of Impala and Peacock’s Brunswick teahouse, which opened on Sydney Road in June last year.
“So many people were coming into the store, having a pot of tea, and then wanting to take some home,” Sarah says. “I’m really excited to now have a product that’s ready to be enjoyed in homes all around Melbourne.”
The range is based on Sarah’s love of tea – and its history and creative potential: “Tea is my passion and my vision is to connect exceptional tea with tea lovers. It is steeped in a tradition of connection, community and wellbeing. In ancient China, blended teas were commonly tea leaves mixed with onions or, for special occasions, citrus peel. But now, with so much variety in herbs, spices and flowers, there really is no limit to blending – the crazier the experiments, the better the flavour.”
While traditional teas (white, green, oolong, black and Pu-erh) are central to the Impala and Peacock range, it also includes tisanes (herbal or caffeine-free), as well as “wellbeing blends that help support healthy functioning of the body and mind”.
The current Impala and Peacock range (prices start from $18), with packaging designed by Creative Order in Elsternwick, includes:
– Lemongrass Ginger: fusion of zesty lemongrass, native Australian lemon myrtle, ginger and calendula petals
– Peacock Chai: peppery warming chai tea, Australian bush spices Dorrigo pepper, pepper berries steeped in organic agave nectar
– Brunswick Breakfast: blend of four premium black teas
– Invigorate: energizing tisane with greenbosch, wild orange, cinnamon, cardamom, pink peppercorns and mango
– Aromatherapy: blend of peppermint, lemongrass, spearmint, lemon verbena, sweet lemon balm and lavender
– Relaxation; calming blend of chamomile, peppermint, cornflower petals and calendula flowers
– Detox: cleansing blend of senna, nettle, red clover, calendula, burdock root, St Mar’s thistle, dandelion and rhubarb
– Jasmine Pearls: naturally infused green tea from China, hand-rolled and wrapped in fresh jasmine blooms
– Chocolate Mint: blend of sweet cacao, coconut, peppermint and natural stevia
– Antioxidant: blend of the purest white teas with roses, calendula, hibiscus, rosehip and spearmint
– An Ji Bai Cha: organic green tea.
Most of the blends can also be transformed into an iced tea “with a few small tweaks”. For example, the lemongrass and ginger variety becomes a refreshing summer drink by adding fresh ginger, lemon pieces and sweetener and being cooled overnight.
Sarah, who has travelled widely to study tea and its history, says her all-time favourite is An Ji Bai Cha, which was discovered 35 years ago in China: “A single white tea bush – an ji bai cha – was found high up in the mountains, sending tea experts and enthusiasts into a buzz. It is wonderfully sweet in flavour, with nutty and woody notes.”
Sarah is a member of the Australian Tea Masters Association and Australasian Specialty Tea Association and recommends three simple rules to all tea drinkers: “First, ensure that you are drinking organic, high-grade tea. Second, be sure to store it properly. And finally, ensure you brew your tea correctly – teas can be as unique as people when it comes to the temperatures and brewing times.”
Impala and Peacock is located at 558 Sydney Road, Brunswick, phone (03) 8294 5661. A limited range of Impala and Peacock loose leaf tea is also stocked at: Happy Melon Studio, Armadale; Serotonin Eatery, Burnley; Frances Food and Coffee, Melbourne.
Visit www.impalaandpeacock.com.au.
Images by Bonnie Savage.
