Loose-Leaf Journals: Tea, the Universal Drink

It is my belief that tea knows no boundaries. A beverage simply cannot become the second most consumed in the world (after water) unless it can be sipped in most any place. Kendra and I put this to the test with our latest tea-themed road trip. We grabbed a camera and a notepad, and set off for the city.

Upon reaching Summerside, we walked into a bustling Samuel's Coffee House. I noticed some vacationers enjoying big molasses cookies. Two professionals discussed a project way off in the corner. We took a seat by the window. Rays of sun stole in, illuminating the rising steam from my cup of Irish Breakfast tea. Kendra had a Cinnfully Cinnamon tea. It's one of her favourites. The cinnamon flavour is robust, with a hint of orange zest to keep the blend light.

Samuel's has that timeless coffee shop feel, where everyone can subsist in their own personal bubble under a drone of chatter and coffee machines. But one vital thing connects everything at Samuel's: Most of the sandwiches, sweets and drinks are locally made and/or locally sourced. Everyone can take part in enjoying the best of what the island has to offer. We enjoyed our visit, and were soon back out in the sun, though clouds in the distance warned of coming showers.

It was early afternoon when we arrived in Victoria-By-The-Sea, a small seaside fishing village with stunning views. Away from the bustle of the summer tourist season, Victoria stands out as one of the Island's quaintest areas. We took a stroll around the village to enjoy the view, happening into local artisan shops as we did.

One such shop was Emmett & Ellie's, located on the dock. They have a rack lined with packets of Lady Baker's tea. Beside it, you can find jars of Lady Baker's famous lemon curd. Tangy and sweet, it's the perfect topping for a biscuit or scone. Diners take warning: contents of such jars have been known to vanish quickly! Emmett & Ellie's also has a variety of soaps, mugs and other carefully chosen items for sale.

Just up the street we found another charming spot: Bittersweet Rose of Victoria. The shop is located in a converted home, ocean-blue in colour. Inside I found a multitude of sea-themed items. There was a basket of Lady Baker's tea postcards as well. By chance, I ran into Ariana, Lady Baker's Social Media Manager, who was touring the area with her mother who was visiting from California. I suppose it's not an island outing until you run into someone you know.

We considered hiding away in Victoria. It was the picture-perfect type of place to disappear into. But adventure, like the will-o-the-wisp on a dark night, leads irresistibly. We had journeyed from city to seaside, and now it was time for the country.

Island Hill Farm is a goat dairy farm in Hampshire. We were greeted by Flory, who runs the farm, and is well-loved across Prince Edward Island. The barn was full of plump chickens, all colours and sizes of goats, and even a couple of alpacas. Soon I was in the pen making friends with the animals. They were very loving and playful. Kendra and I browsed the many varieties of goat-milk soap and other goat products featured in the gift shop. There was also a shelf of Lady Baker's tea. With the storm moving in the weather had cooled, so I had a cup of Cream Earl Grey tea to warm up. While we were visiting the goats the clouds that we had seen moving in while we were in Victoria finally released their moisture, the hard pattering of heavy rain hitting the roof above us.

Island Hill Farm offers lots of interactive programming. Throughout the week you can participate in yoga or a "Milk Make Taste" experience. There is also storytelling for children. Later this year they will even be holding tea-parties. I highly recommend making a visit to farm. It is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon no matter what age you are!

And just like that we had made our rounds. After visiting a variety of locations, I can now say that tea is conclusively a universal drink. It fits into the fabric of any location, urban or rural, seaside or downtown, and can be savoured by people of all ages and backgrounds. Wherever you choose to sip, I wish you happy steeping!

Speaking of steeping, Lady Baker's Tea is launching a sweet new website on September 9th 2017 (that's next week!). The site will feature an online store that is much easier to navigate than the current online store and a new online tea subscription service. Each monthly subscription box includes 3 incredibly fresh and delicious teas selected by Lady Baker including the featured tea of the month. You’ll be able to enjoy a cup of tea every day while exploring the wide variety of premium loose leaf teas that Lady Baker’s Tea has to offer. Send it as a gift to friends and family or indulge in a special Tea Treat just for you, delivered right to your door!

To celebrate the upcoming website launch Lady Baker is giving away THREE one month trial tea subscriptions. To enter to be one of the winners just share where you live in North America (unfortunately for the time-being shipping is limited to North America, but this may change in the future) and what your favourite kind of tea is in the comments section below. Lady Baker will announce three winners on September 9th 2017!  Good luck!

This week's blog post is the last of our summer series, but stay tuned....Shane has promised to make some guest blog appearances from his university campus! We would like to thank Shane and his girlfriend Kendra for being essential extension members of the Tea Team this summer. We are going to miss him big time, but are looking forward to having him join us as a guest blogger this winter. To keep up with Shane's latest adventures, visit him on his YouTube channel!