7 minute read
Spots of Tea
Spots of Tea
Loose-leaf tea brews connection and community
By Kelsey Ritchey
Second only to water, tea is the most consumed beverage around the world. Its versatility allows consumers to enjoy unique, specific blends that suit their tastes. Do you prefer hot or cold? Bitter or sweet? Oolong or herbal? Tea trends and blends vary from region to region and country to country — spanning continents, cultures and languages. Tea can form bonds and forge connections among people from all walks of life.
HISTORY OF TEA
According to legend, tea was discovered in 2737 B.C. when Chinese Emperor Shen Nung tasted the elixir accidentally created after leaves from a tree fell into boiling water. It eventually became a daily drink. Tea cultivation and processing began around the third century A.D. — later expanding into Japan, Taiwan, India and Britain. Tea would later be in the spotlight leading up to the American Revolution, thanks to a political and mercantile protest in Boston, where demonstrators boarded ships and tossed chests of tea into the Boston Harbor in response to the Tea Act of 1773. Tea has stood the test of time and, despite the famous Boston Tea Party, continues to bring peace, warmth and togetherness to people worldwide.
Red Dragon Herbs & Teas
Mary and Ryan Lewellin started Red Dragon Herbs & Teas in 2015. Mary was a student at Iowa State University, and Ryan was employed full time. Life events opened up the possibility of the young family starting a part-time business. They were already growing herbs in their backyard garden and using them for tea, so they decided to try making a business out of it.
The Lewellins got their business off the ground by applying for a stand at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. During Saturday morning markets, they realized tea had a unique way of bringing people together. When patrons would ask about their products, Mary and Ryan would get to know them better to determine what types of loose-leaf tea they should try.
“Tea creates a sense of community,” says Mary. “People come together to sip tea and share sad moments, happy moments or simply to feel better. Having a community around us is important. Ryan and I cherish those relationships, and it’s very fulfilling to know we can impact someone’s life.”
That sense of community is something Ryan knows firsthand. While serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2004, Ryan’s unit patrolled the streets of a small city in Iraq. One thing Ryan noticed right away was how deeply ingrained tea was in Iraqi society.
“Every time we stopped at a house, they would bring us tea,” recalls Ryan. “It was something we really enjoyed. We would talk with these folks over tea and get to know them. I downed hundreds of cups of their chai during my deployment. We recreated the blend they would use over there. We add a touch of cardamom and cinnamon to give it that unique spicy and sweet flavor I remember.”
Today, Red Dragon Herbs & Teas continues to participate in the Farmers Market while managing about 40 retail partnerships around Iowa and surrounding states. They recently opened a storefront in Polk City. They source many ingredients from local or family-owned businesses, including Pepper Harrow Farms, Graziano’s, Red Ape Cinnamon and Mount Hope.
“We source from many places and try to be thoughtful about the people we get our ingredients from,” says Mary. “It’s important to us that the farms are well taken care of and family-owned, when possible. When we can, we form partnerships with local sellers and farmers. Our main priority is quality. We put a lot of heart and soul into our business, and high-quality ingredients are essential.”
Evangelical about their love of loose-leaf tea, the Lewellins teach classes at community libraries and the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. During these events, they share stories and histories about the plants they work with. In some of these classes, they walk students through the process of blending herbal tea.
“There are so many different herbs and spices we work with,” says Mary. “There’s a ton of interesting lore behind what we do and how we do it. We’re always excited to talk to customers about these things and hope it makes them enjoy their tea even more.”
Justeen Hill, Lorna Harberts and Adele Kuruppu.
The Tea Cellar
Justeen Hill was a sales and marketing executive for a management company when she asked herself the million-dollar question, “Do I really want to be doing this in five years?” Her answer was no.
“I didn’t waste any time. I downloaded a 50-page business plan and put it in a threering binder,” says Hill. “I decided I was going to pursue this dream for myself.”
As a little girl, Hill’s grandparents “Opa and Oma” would come together every afternoon to enjoy teatime. As farmers who immigrated from the Netherlands to 160 acres south of Aplington, Iowa, they always stopped what they were doing to enjoy tea and cake at 3 p.m.
It was this tradition that first introduced Hill to loose-leaf tea and all it offered.
“They still spoke German when I was a little girl, and they would speak German during teatime,” recalls Hill about her Opa and Oma. “They’d make an oolong semi-fermented tea. All tea comes from the Camellia sinensis tree plant, and the amount of time you ferment makes it different. The tea leaves have essential oils, which slide into the water and expand to give it its taste. The flavors can astound you.”
After much discussion with family and friends, Hill decided to name her tea shop The Tea Cellar because of its location on the lower level of an interior design store. The first time she went down the stairs and into the space, Hill saw the limestone wall and concrete flooring.
“I said, ‘Oh yeah, this is it,’” she recalls.
It was important to Hill that The Tea Cellar provide a great product and experience for her customers — many of whom are University of Northern Iowa students.
Sometimes you have to tell yourself that you are worth the bit of time,” says Hill when describing making a cup of tea. “I want The Tea Cellar to be an underground tea experience.
After its opening in November 2016, business at the Tea Cellar boomed. The holiday shopping season and bustle around a new local business in Cedar Falls were exciting. The Tea Cellar gained popularity and eventually moved locations to a more prominent space on State Street. It has increased its tea offerings from 32 to an impressive 80, giving customers abundant choices of loose-leaf tea blends. Hill is also proud to leverage local partnerships, including Hansen’s Dairy, a seventhgeneration dairy farm in Cedar Falls.
“All those little touches matter to customers,” she says. “They make you feel special.”
The Tea Cellar products can be purchased at the shop or via wholesale carriers sprinkled throughout Iowa, including Hy-Vee and Fareway. When Hill looks back on the history of her business — which began six years ago — it’s hard not to get emotional.
“We had been open for three years before the pandemic, and I was so grateful for the loyal customer base we had created,” she says. “When we were forced to shut down, I remember spending a lot of time on our website so we could continue to sell tea — especially to the college students who were living back at home. Once our sales went live, I remember sitting on the couch crying because orders were coming in from all over the country.”
That outpouring of support was a testament to how vital her loose-leaf tea products were to the community she established and individuals around the country.
“It’s wonderful to have a community who supports my product and the old-fashioned experience it represents,” says Hill. “In a fastpaced world, tea allows us to quiet our hearts and minds to be alone with ourselves.”
