Shop Status – Take 3
Sinks are delivered, plumber scheduled for next week. Extra electric has been installed to handle busy brewing needs. We still need a wall separating food prep from walkway to bathroom, and I have to finish painting the floor.
Have hired some extra staff, and wonder of wonders, they can all get together at the same time for a tea sampling and orientation!
Our target OPEN date right now is Tuesday 5/14…..Taste of Maplewood is Sat 5/18, and we really want to be open for you then – as a respite from crowds and heat or chill with a refreshing cup of tea.
Maplewood Chamber of Commerce has scheduled our ribbon cutting for Tues 5/21 at 5:15 pm – Please join us for that!
Meanwhile – the “tea shop that travels” will be at opening day of Tower Grove Farmers Market on Sat 5/4 from 8:00 am-2:00 pm with some new brewing options, and perhaps a new flavor of tea to refresh you!
Looking forward to Sharing Good Tea with our friends – both old and new!
Market News & new teas
I am sorry to say, effective immediately, I will have to stop attending the Schlafly Maplewood Farmers Market for the remainder of the Summer season. Sales and market exposure have not been enough to make up for the wages that I’ve been giving up. Many of you realize I am still working a nearly full-time job to pay my personal bills.
I know this Market is more convenient for some of you, and I can still meet you there to deliver tea orders.
I hope to return to the Schlafly Winter Market, if they will have me.
New teas in (all organic): Hojicha, Jasmine Pearls, and Mothering Tea and Sage Woman have returned by special request.
We also have organic Matcha in 1oz and 4oz sizes. I hope to get all of these added to the website in the next week.
News and Teapot Travels
HAPPY 4th of July!!
Apologies for how long I’ve let the website go without updating info. I hope to do better going forward. Instead of worrying about how it all looks/flows from a marketing standpoint, I’m just going to start sharing notes about what goes on. Hopefully, you won’t mind the informality.
Newest news: a selection of Traveling Tea teas are now available at Home Eco and Missouri Botanical Garden Gate Shop, making a total of 10 other locations to buy my tea if you can’t get to Market or shop.
I’ve added a link here, at right, to subscribe to a “Tea-mail” list. I’m putting together a notice to go out tomorrow….in celebration of my birthday next week I will be serving mini-cupcakes at TGFM this Saturday (to the first 40 customers). These are super yummy, gluten-free (I defy you to tell the difference), baked by my daughter (who is in the fledgling stage of developing her own bakery business in Columbia, MO
July & August will pretty much just be Market months. In September, extra events start (StrangeFolk Festival and Scottish Games)
I hope to get the calendar page updated within the next week. My computer crashed in April and many things have had to be recreated from scratch. Bah.
In April I attended a Tea Sommelier training in So. Carolina AND got to visit the Charleston Tea Plantation. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they use mostly organic practices on their plants and will start carrying American (Continent) grown tea soon. [They do use chemical fertilizers due to being a public tourist attraction .... manure wouldn't go over very well].
I am still working on the follow-up to the training (I have to learn about, sample, and compare 30 different teas, and post my findings in the class forum). Hmmmm…..since I learn better when sharing with others……anyone want to help me? If so, please contact me via any of the usual channels.
Try to keep cool out there – Kateri
Autumn & Tea
The summer Market season is quickly coming to a close – 4 more Tower Grove Markets (including the Harvest Festival on 10/22) and 2 more Maplewood Markets.
Chandler Hill Winery is extending their season by 2 weeks (through 10/30) – I will be there this Sunday 10/16.
I’m starting to hear “Where do we get our tea after the Markets end?”
Besides web/email orders and our selected shop hours, several shops around town carry a selection of our teas (see links at the right)
Also, the Markets never really “end”….they just change locations and frequency….
Maplewood Winter Market will be Sat 11/19 and 12/17, inside the Schlafly Brewery (still outside if weather is nice).
There is also the St. Louis Community Farmers Winter Market (some of the Tower Grove vendors plus a few), held at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Arsenal, just west of Grand on the 2nd Saturday of the month – 11/12 and 12/10. Watch my calendar page as it gets closer for start/end times.
Additionally, our shop is open every Friday evening from 5-7pm. Also some Tuesdays from 11am-3pm. I’m sorting out details to add some extra hours in Nov & Dec for holiday shopping. Possibly an Open House on sun 11/27.
Follow TravTea on Twitter for last minute announcements when I’m going to be at the shop anyway (making or packaging teas).
Thank you for your continued support. I know we’re not always the most convenient place to buy tea….I try to make up for it in carrying only EXCELLENT teas that never disappoint.
Donate to MSBike Ride 2011
My daughter, Anna Meyer is riding, and leading a team, in the MS Express Scripts Gateway Getaway Ride on Sept 10 & 11, 2011
Anna Riding Bike
In support of her efforts, Saturday, Sept 10 2011, Traveling Tea will donate 10% of sales to her fund raising campaign. We will also have a donation jar out for your contributions at both 9/3 and 9/10 Markets.
For more information, or if you want to make a donation directly, follow the link at the right to “Donate to MS Gateway Ride”, or click on this photo.
If you don’t want to do the on-line thing, and want a record of your tax deductible donation, you can drop off a check at the Tower Grove or Maplewood Farmers Markets, made payable to: National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and Anna will see that you get credit (please make sure your address is on the check).
Thank you for your support
Shop Hours & Markets
You can always see our shop hours and where we will be by going to the calendar/events page
I just updated it to show when we will be at the upcoming farmers markets as well.
Please note, that once Saturday markets start in May we will NOT have Shop Hours on SATURDAY. We WILL still have Friday night shop hours (since we will be there getting ready for market).
This could change as summer progresses, so always be sure to check here or give us a call if the shop is more convenient than the market for you.
Also, this Sunday – I’ll be doing sampling at Sappington Farmers Market again – from Noon to 4 (or till I run out of tea). They are having special sales that day.
Remember Tea Circle at the shop on Tues 3/22 at 7:00pm FREE opportunity to sample and learn more about teas and how to steep them. What we sample that evening depends upon the interests of who shows up!
Shop News
Apologies for my delay in keeping you all up to date. As some of you have already noticed, the shop in Maplewood is no longer open.
This was a decision arrived at somewhat spontaneously. I enjoyed the shop environment for the more leisurely pace of interacting and sometimes chatting with some of you for quite some time over a cup of tea.
Yet, economic realities had to be faced; and then, as I contemplated working at the Summer Farmers’ Markets again, I realized how much joy and vitality I experience interacting with you in that medium.
I remembered how inspired the name “Traveling Tea” and the teapot logo with its hobo bag, just “came to me”, almost unbidden…..and even the slogan “Sharing Good Times – Sharing Good Tea”. (“Traveling Tea”, not “Sitting in a Shop” Tea)
Though it was originally a teashop in Kansas City that generated the idea of a tea business in St. Louis for me, what I was “given” to create is something different.
Bringing tea to you, where you are in your lives and activities; to get quality tea on the menus at venues and events in the area where tea-lovers currently have limited choice. This is my mission. So tea lovers throughout the St. Louis area can truly enjoy healthy, tasty, properly brewed tea while they are sharing good times with friends and family.
Help me spread the word. Tell me where you want to see Traveling Tea. Tell the owners and managers of those places you want to be able to buy/drink Traveling Tea product there.
Together, we can take St. Louis beverage enjoyment to the next level!
Happy Summer 2010
I look forward to seeing you at the Markets
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“Traveling Tea”, “Sharing Good Times – Sharing Good Tea”, and the hobo bag red teapot logo are copyrighted by Nature’s Notions, LLC and Traveling Tea.
English Tea at the TGFM
Eccles cakes and lemon tea bread are priced the same way as the scones, and you can also mix and match a dozen for $15.00.
Please contact me right away if you want to place an advance order for pickup this Saturday. I believe she tries to do her baking on Tues and Wednesday.
This may be short notice but we’ll do the best we can for this week.
(by the way – the scones freeze beautifully, if you want to plan ahead and stock up)
About Traveling Tea
Selling loose leaf teas and freshly brewed tea at events and venues in the St. Louis Missouri area
We feature a wide variety of teas from India, China, Japan, and wherever else the best quality teas and herbal tisanes come from. The majority are organically grown and fairly traded.
Look for us at the Tower Grove Farmers Market starting on 5/9/2009. We will be there most Saturdays serving 2 or 3 varieties of iced tea as well as freshly brewed hot tea (brewed while you shop). www.tgmarket.org
You can now have a cup of tea with your morning crepe, or other market goodies!
New & Upcoming Teas
I’ve been listening to your requests and have just gotten a shipment of new tea flavors.
I’ve found more organics with yummy flavors. Some of the new teas may be ready for the 3/14 market at St. John’s; and I’ve got more surprises in store for the 3/28 market at Schlafly.
Attendees of the High Tea at Local Harvest Cafe will have the pleasure of experiencing teas that definitely won’t be available until 3/28, including a preview of one that will be offered iced this summer at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market.
Looking forward to seeing you at the next market.
