Spring Arrived...

Spring arrived in our front window.

Unfortunately, it's still winter here in St. John's. Currently, it's a combination of hail and snow outside. My poor plants. On Friday, there were green leafs of Glory of the Snow and Tulips appearing in my front yard. Now they are covered in a blanket of snow. But the weather is supposed to improve on the weekend. Six degrees and sunny breaks. I can hardly wait.

The store does feel very much like spring. Lots of bright colours and we have been getting tons of compliments on the front window. The Bunny Teapot on a Cabbage Leaf Plate reminds me of Peter Rabbit. I never had the Potter books as a child. I still don't own them but have given Peter Rabbit to a few of the kids in my life. It's the illustrations that I love. And, yes, I did watch the movie and I loved the animation.

We, also, got a new shipment of Beehouse Teapots. They are great! They don't drip and come in a wide range of colours and sizes. Gelato Grape and Gelato Pineapple are the two new colours. They are super bright and cheerful. One customer said they reminded her of Easter. Which is fitting since Easter will be here in less than a month.

Well, I am off to have a cup of Wuyi Oolong. Keep your fingers crossed for spring like weather.

What a beautiful morning! It's great to have a hint a Spring in the weather and the new products! Here are the ceramic travel mugs along with tons of funky and bright gift ideas.

A busy couple of months.

January and February are known as down times in the retail industry and that is both a blessing and a curse. A curse because we still need to make money to pay for rent , payroll, taxes, insurance etc. A blessing for me because the past two months have been very busy. I have attended two gift shows and done my year end counting and catching up on all the things that have gotten put aside during the busy months of November and December. Today I feel like I can breath a little.

The gift shows are shopping for nine hours a day, for several days, I get tired feet and overwhelmed by the vast amount of products that are out there. Still, I am also excited too be checking in with my suppliers and seeing what is new in food and gifts, gadgets and tea.

It's great when you find a product that you know your customers are going to LOVE and that you love a little bit yourself. I enjoy chatting with my suppliers and attending the seminars. I learn something new every time.

I decided to expand the food lines we carry for a number of reasons. First, the store has gotten a great response to the chutneys, jams and mustard's that we carry. Second, the products are really good. New to the store are Hot Horseradish, Four Pepper relish (which we are almost sold out of), Mango Chutney with Lime and Ginger, Chipolte Mustard, Cranberry and Pomegranate Preserves, Apple and Cinnamon Preserves, Fig Preserves and Pink Grapefruit Marmalade. And not to be forgotten are the Dufflett Morsels. These yummies are the ultimate treat! Milk chocolate and caramel pistachios and hazelnuts are my personal favorite. The dark chocolate covered raspberries, cranberries and blueberries have been a real hit. I'd rather get a box of these for Easter than the typical bunny. No offence to the bunnies.

I, also got the large Royal Albert Bone China mugs back in along with six more contemporary designs. And we will have the ceramic travel mugs back in this week. It was a bit of a trial getting them back. My poor sales rep was struck by illness and didn't return to his job and my order got lost in the chaos and then it got lost again because of a computer error. They are a bit funkier than the last ones with lots of bright colours and fun designs.

We will be getting new Japanese tea sets and some fun gift items that have nothing to do with tea but that I kind of feel in love with and thought that others would like as well. I'll post pictures as the new products come in to the store.

A Caffeine Update And Japanese Teas by Kelly Jones
Last week I went home for lunch and the latest issue of one the tea magazines I subscribe to had arrived. I eagerly flipped to an article by tea expert Bruce Richardson on tea and caffeine. For years the tea industry has been promoting self decaffination. The theory has been that by pouring off your first infusion up to 80% of caffeine would be removed after steeping for about 60 seconds. A new study initiated by Richardson has proven this theory wrong. The study showed that approximately 50% of the caffeine was removed after infusing for 3 minutes. A significant amount of caffeine is still removed and with green teas the second infusion normally tastes better than the first. You just have to wait longer for your cup of tea.

There seems to be a heightened interest in Japanese green teas in Newfoundland and Labrador. Japan only produces green teas which are all machine harvested, steamed, rolled, dried and packaged. There are seven main Japanese teas. Here is a brief introduction to them.
Gyukuro- is a shade grown tea. For about 3 weeks before harvesting the bushes are shaded to increase the chlorophyll content and create darker green leaves. It is the most expensive, highest quality tea available from Japan. It has a pale yellow infusion and a mild taste.
Matcha - is the powdered green tea that is traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony. It is made by grinding Tencha leaves which are also shade grown. This powder is whisked in a bowl until frothy. It’s bright green in colour and has an intense grassy flavour.
Kukicha -Is made from the stems and stalks of the tea leaf. It has a yellow green infusion and has a clean nut like flavour.
Sencha- has been getting a lot of press because of it’s high antioxidant levels. It also has high vitamin C levels. It is made from the first leaves of Spring. It has a golden yellow infusion and a vegetive seaweed like smell and taste.
Bancha -is a rougher tea than Sencha. It is made from the later leaf flushes. I once heard it described as the tea you drink everyday and Sencha was the tea you offered to guests. It is a stronger tasting tea but less fragrant.
Houjicaha - is roasted Sencha. It has a deep amber infusion and a chicory like taste.
Genmaicha - roasted rice and popcorn is added to low grade Sencha or Bancha to create a toasty and smooth flavour.