May 2, 2009

Relaxation on tap at tea shopBy Cara BradyBCLocalNews.com

When Keith and Ella Barth first visited Vernon, what impressed them most were the smiles of the people.

Now they’re bringing their own smiles to their new 30th Avenue business, Tasty Tea ‘N’ Things, a tea, lunch and gift shop that specializes in relaxation of all kinds.

“When we came to Vernon, we both looked at each other and said, ‘This is where we want to be,'” said Keith.

They made the move and the career changes as soon as they could.

“I was a nurse for many years and saw the benefits of tea for people of all ages in helping them to feel less stress and I used it myself to relax,” said Ella.

The couple started selling loose leaf tea when they lived in Calgary, and brought their knowledge and suppliers with them when they moved to Vernon.

“I grew up in a tea-drinking family where you didn’t have a meal without tea,” said Ella.

“So I enjoy it myself and over the years, I’ve learned a lot about how people can use different kinds of teas to help them with different health concerns. I like doing the blending for the teas we have in the store and we’re always trying out new blends ourselves and on our friends. We’re always happy to answer questions about tea.”

The store features organic herbal teas grown in Canada from Herbal Healing of Nanton, Alta.

The other teas come from all over the world, including from the Metropolitan Tea Company of London, England. The store has 145 kinds of tea.

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