For as long as anyone can remember, people have participated in ceremony. Ceremony is how we celebrate, it’s how we connect with the people we love and it’s how we mark important transitions in our lives. No matter the purpose, at the heart of every ceremony is ritual, and also an opportunity to pause.

For me, drinking tea is exactly this – a ritual and an opportunity to pause, to bond with others over a shared sensory experience, which calms the body, but stimulates the mind. It is different from coffee because it takes time, so to drink tea you really have to commit.

 What I have tried to do with The Tea Collective is create a space where people can just be - where they can read or chat as comfortably as they would if they were curled up on their best friend’s couch. I want The Tea Collective to be a place people can come to reset. I also want it to be a place where people can come when they want to learn something about tea. I remember when I first started drinking tea - although I knew I loved it, no one could tell me much about it – I’d like the opportunity to be that person.

It has been a bumper year for the Tea Collective with our flagship store in Newcastle winning Best Tea Menu in Australia and Best Tea House in New South Wales within six months of opening. But we're not stopping there - if you can't come to us, we're happy to come to you! Our new online store ships everywhere in Australia. 

Becci Fowler

 Founder – The Tea Collective