High Tea, our newest curated gift box is now on the website and can be ordered! We’ve included three loose-leaf teas by local tea blenders and proprietors. A black tea from Tîma Tea of 3 Mountains, grown without pesticides or herbicides in Rwanda; a Chinese green tea from the Yunnan province from Dobra Tea; and an herbal tisane of chamomile and lavender from Asheville Tea Company. There is also a 2-ounce jar of pure raw mountain wildflower honey from Mikell’s Farm to sweeten your teas if desired, and a stainless and silicone single-cup infuser. Ivory Road Café & Kitchen has baked buttery shortbread cookies to accompany the teas. It’s been fun collaborating with Jessie Dean of Asheville Tea Company, Andrew Snavely of Dobra Tea, and Sara Stender of Tîma Tea. And boy do they know tea! Thanks to Jill Wasilewski of Ivory Road and Sharry Mikell of Mikell’s Farm, as well, for their wonderful additions to our gift box.
We’re thrilled to share a blog post of the High Tea box that blogger, Lynn Weekes-Karageannes has written at My-Tea-Diary — exploring the art and spirit of tea. She discusses each of the teas, brew times, etc. with a few photos of all the items, as well. Additionally, we received another lovely unsolicited review from Jennifer Stowe of Three Sisters’ Tearoom in Tennessee, who received High Tea as a gift from a friend. Here’s what she had to say:
“Oh yes, your little box of tea treasures arrived safely yesterday and was the highlight of my day, my week! I found such a tidy yet artistically arranged package and really liked the look of the brown box and craft paper tied together with the cheery red and white string. The items inside were well chosen, for example, loose tea with a tea strainer and then honey to sweeten the tea and then cookies to accompany the tea (very delicious, by the way!) The postcard was such a thoughtful touch. My immediate thought was to take it and write you a thank you note. The vintage picture on the postcard was very fitting for the rustic look of the packaging. The whole buy local theme was wonderful and it was fun to read about the different vendors who contributed the items which were in the box. One thing I really liked was the three different types of tea. In my family some of us love black tea, some green and some herbal. Everyone found a selection to try in that box. Vey well thought out!”
High Tea makes a wonderful warming gift box for the cold winter months. Click the link below to order your gift box now.
Postscript: I’d like to give a shout out to my friend, Nancy Orbin. I named this box to honor her, a long-time Ashevillian and the proprietor of High Tea Café (1974-1983). High Tea was located on Wall Street from September 1974 to November 1983. They served Russian Tea which has a two-step brewing process. Nancy’s clientele included many artists, actors, and musicians called to Asheville to follow their muse. High Tea hosted monthly art shows and was the first restaurant in Asheville to offer outdoor seating! Nancy, along with a few other brave entrepreneurs, believed in this enchanting mountain town, its residents, and visitors even before its second renaissance in the 1990s. Her kind and generous spirit has been an inspiration to me since I moved to Asheville in 1994. Nancy’s High Tea Café was so popular, she published a collection of its recipes, titled High Tea Recipes. If you’re interested in a copy, please get in touch with me.
