Jule Gilchrist, Tea Enthusiast
We stopped by Cuppa ‘T, in Regina’s Cathedral neighbourhood, to have a chat with owner Jule Gilchrist. We love her tea so much, it’s been featured in a few QC Gifts boxes. Tea has always been Jule’s passion and over 15 years ago the opportunity came to make it a business. She was transitioning out of career in social work. “I didn’t want to be a regular tea shop, I wanted to be able to have quality loose leaf tea and funky items. My motto is Wish It, Dream It, Do It with Tea!”
In order to prepare for owning a tea business and serving customers, Jule took a tea course, which were not easy to find at the time. Interest and consumption of teas has grown steadily since then, so education and training in tea is much easier to find in 2022. People are even becoming sommeliers in tea!
Jule’s love for tea might only be eclipsed by her love to experiment with tea! A versatile ingredient in the kitchen or bar, tea can lend a subtle flavour to a wide variety of recipes. She’s made tea ice cream that was sold at the farmer’s market several years ago, tea gin and tonic freezies, as well as tea lattes and cooking recipes with tea.
Cuppa ‘T has over 100 teas on the shelf and Jule has tried every single one. (She drinks at least a thousand cups of tea a year!) They go through the process of steeping them correctly, then under steeping, over steeping, having them hot and then cold so they really get to know the tea. This understanding helps make for great recommendations and service, no matter how you enjoy your tea.
“We also do some cool custom blends for people. One of my favourites is just simply adding rose petals to a vanilla-based tea. It is soo yummy and soo simple to do.”
Two of Jule’s most popular loose teas, Creamy Earl Grey and Stress Relief, are featured in the QC Gifts Tea Box, available for local delivery, pickup or shipping.
