Turning back to tea
Souderton, PA — Tea has always been a part of Trish Stubbs’ life.
As a child, her British mother would coax her into behaving by promising she could have a cup of tea in a special glass. When she was sad or upset, her mother would always soothe her with a nice, hot cup of tea.
So when Stubbs was looking for a new career, it was only natural that she turned back to tea. She opened her own business, Tilly Mint’s Tea Room, in Souderton in September 2007.
Since then, Tilly Mint’s has served more than 5,000 guests, a number that Stubbs said has blown away her expectations.
“I became instantly tired,” joked Stubbs, who said she keeps track of every guest, including what they ate, what the weather was like and what was going on in the world at the time of the visit.
Stubbs’ British roots runs deep. Her parents came to the United States from Liverpool following World War II. Stubbs was the first in her family to be born here.
She returned to England when she was a teenager, and attended high school there. But she returned to the United States so she could graduate with her class from Pennridge High. Stubbs started college in England, but returned to marry her husband, her high school sweetheart.
Stubbs, 53, has held several jobs. She had gone to college for nursing and worked as a nursing assistant until her daughter, Jenny, was born. She waitressed part time while her daughter was growing up, and at one time, the two had a professional clown business.
