Interview: Eteaket, Edinburgh
Q/ Tell us a bit about your tea makers...
We are eteaket, the whole leaf tea experts on a mission to connect people and create moments through the joy of whole leaf tea. We encourage taking time out of the day to stop and reflect to remember to live life on purpose! We are based in Edinburgh..
Q/ What is your back story?
eteaket was started in 2008 when our wonderful founder, ex-lawyer, Erica Moore, had a moment of clarity and realised she wanted to do something more fulfilling with her life. It was founded on a belief that we were all born to chase our dreams and find our passion. Erica had a passion for the power of proper leaf tea to make the everyday better through allowing people to connect and create moments. We believe that life’s all about recognising and appreciating those brief moments of joy and happiness. In every part of the world, tea has the ability to create a gentle yet vibrant atmosphere that brings people together and inspires them to live their best life seeking health and happiness.
We now have our online speciality tea store as well as a physical retail Concept Store, our Tea Room and a thriving Wholesale Service. Our team and tea tribe continues to grow and we love to take them on the journey with us and provide ethically sourced and exceptional quality whole leaf tea from all over the world.
Q/ What makes you independent? What would you say you're known for?
We are an independent family-run business and our team is equally small and like a family in itself! Erica is with us every day (unless she is out and about talking tea as she is also a key industry speaker). We are known for creating innovative and exciting blends of tea unique to us. For example, our Tomatin Whisky Tea was Europe’s first barrel aged tea! We worked with the Tomatin Whisky Distillery in Scotland to suspend our tea in their whisky barrels. It absorbs the flavour and aroma of the whisky which makes for a pretty phenomenal tea indeed. Also, we have worked with Isle of Harris Gin on the Isle of Harris to create a tea using the same botanicals which they use in their Gin - which is equally phenomenal as it includes the kelp which is dived for and collected by hand from the Scottish Coast. We could go on about our special teas all day - with over 30 in our collection, there’s always something for everyone.
p.s... Did we mention we also have a colour-changing tea?! Yes, really. Our Purple Rain Blue tea never fails to amaze. It is a blend of blue butterfly pea flowers, fragrant lemongrass with lemon peel, ginger peel and a hint of liquorice! It is a fabulous blue colour, yet with a squeeze of lemon, it turns a gorgeous purple. You really need to try it to see how amazing it is…
Q/ If you had to recommend two types of tea, which would it be?
Oh this is a difficult one. We all have different favourites in the tea room so this will cause controversy no doubt! But firstly, we will say a green tea. Our Mighty Matcha green tea is very special as it is a Japanese Ceremonial Grade Matcha. It is delicious as a latte with oat milk and the goodness from the ground tea leaves provides a great alternative to coffee in the morning. As a green tea, it has the caffeine some of us feel the need for first thing, yet it also keeps you hydrated. The caffeine is more gradual in its effect rather than the spike you would get from coffee, so there is not a mid-morning dip which is great! We also used our Mighty Matcha tea in a collaboration with Mara Seaweed to create our ‘Celtic Kombu Matcha’. It has a myriad of health benefits due to the Kelp from Mara Seaweed which has been tested for its mineral and nutrient content. It is known to reduce fatigue, boost your immunity and with the iodine present in seaweed, it can help maintain a healthy thyroid hormone production. So both of our Matcha’s are pretty amazing.
Secondly, although not technically a 'type' of tea, we would say our Herbal & Fruit blend, Sea Buckthorn. As it is summer, it makes for a great Cold Brew. The Sea Buckthorn berries come from along our Scottish coastline and are said to contain an array of vitamins and minerals as well as bio-active substances. Many of us love to hydrate on this cold brew after the gym as it really refreshes. It is caffeine-free which makes it an easy choice day or night. Also, it is a fantastic alternative to juice for adults or kids alike! Just pour some over ice for an iced tea (which is a delicious and healthy alternative to a sugary drink).
Q/ Do you have a favourite tea makers in the industry right now, and why?
This is a tough question. Because really, we believe that it is about a community rather than any individual. We have massive respect for all of those who are involved with supplying the highest quality, ethically sourced tea... And of course spreading the message of the wonders of tea. Whether it is to spend time with people, or just take a moment out of the day for yourself, tea can make a positive impact on our lives in a subtle way which is often overlooked. Independent tea companies who are spreading a positive message in the world through tea as well as creating a healthy, happy and vibrant community are all fantastic to us.
GUSTATORY (adjective): curating excellence in taste.