I always try to forewarn people who are coming to the shop that we are in an unusual spot for a tea shop. We are located, in fact, in an industrial park…within my plumbing and heating professional’s building. He’s a wonderful landlord, and we have working heat and air conditioning here. After being previously located in a beautiful old Victorian era building with character oozing from the walls and beautiful natural lighting…but with poor heating and cooling mechanisms, I’ve decided this is very important. Tea needs to be kept in comfortable, dry environments, as do people. Customers and employees will not be enjoying themselves if they’re freezing, roasting, or having to wipe sweat off their brow. So…I took a chance by renting this space. I figured in China and other parts of Asia, many of the best teas are found in little out of the way holes- in- the -wall. If it can work there, maybe it can work here. Our goal is to offer the finest teas we can at a fair price. It is also to educate and inform our customers. We’ve chosen to put our monetary gains into high quality teas, educating ourselves, and keeping up to date on all things tea, by particpating continuously in our professional organizations and classes, rather than locating in a high rent district. We’re grateful to our customers who go out of their way to find us, spread the word to their friends, and then keep returning. Our location is actually quite convenient to major highways, the Maine Turnpike, and Route #1.
Once you’re inside our space, you won’t realize you’re in an industrial park. The space is filled with wonderful teas: black tea, green tea, Oolong tea, and herbal tisanes, as well as “all things loosely related” to tea! We carry unique gifts and jewelry which anyone, tea lover or not would love to own. Our selection of books includes the Tea Shop Mystery Series as well as children’s books, books about tea in general, and lots of recipes. Many of the books have beautiful photography. I promise you that you will not find such a large selection of tea goodies anywhere else in the state of Maine.
We want you to be satisfied with your tea purchases, so we encourage you to taste before you buy. We can help you sort out what teas you have or haven’t liked in the past, whether you’re looking for a straight tea, a flavored tea, or a blended tea. Or we can introduce you to a totally new taste.
If you’re totally new to tea, or if you’d like in-depth knowledge about a particular type of tea, we encourage you to take one of our classes. It’s always fun to learn with others who share an interest.
And, if you just need a quiet respite away from the daily bustle, you’re welcome to visit and sit at our small table to enjoy being served tea and something light to go with it, all on your own or with a friend. So, thanks for taking a chance and stopping by. We look forward to serving you.
Tea is ready!
