Since opening The Berry Tea Shop, a delightful emporium of all things tea, in mid-2010, Cliff and Paulina Collier have noticed a curious thing: “People are very well-behaved and well-mannered when they go out for tea. We often hear parents telling their children to sit up straight and be on their best behaviour.” Since opening The Berry Tea Shop, a delightful emporium of all things tea, in mid-2010, Cliff and Paulina Collier have noticed a curious thing: “People are very well-behaved and well-mannered when they go out for tea. We often hear parents telling their children to sit up straight and be on their best behaviour.”
“After running a busy café in Sydney’s Woolloomooloo for 15 years, we were looking for a slower lifestyle,” says Paulina. “The idea of opening the Tea Shop evolved from wanting to get away from that crazy life. Tea is more of a ritual, it’s about slowing down and brings people together with a beautiful sense of warmth and and hospitality. We want to inspire our customers toward a peaceful and fulfilling lifestyle – to encourage them to slow down, pay attention and take pleasure in the simple things. Sitting down to a cup of tea is the perfect way to step back and savour life as it should be lived, moment by moment.”
The Berry Tea Shop offers a collection of the world’s finest ad most distinctive single-origin teas and tea blends. “We offer only the freshest, high-grade loose-leaf teas that have been grown and cared for by dedicated artisans who still use age-old traditions and techniques,” explains Paulina. “Our teas are brought in directly from their countries of origin and are blended by hand in Berry. We buy the best quality tea each picking season and only buy in small, regular quantities to ensure freshness.”
As well as superb teas to drink in house or take home, The Berry Tea Shop offers delicious scones with homemade raspberry jam from Cutaway Creek and a dollop of double cream and locally baked cakes. There’s also a gorgeous range of tea-related giftware on display – from delicate tea cups and elegant teapots to vintage-style tea cosies and beautiful books.
Since moving to Berry, Paulina has become interested in handicrafts and recently teamed up with fellow craft lovers Sharon Thomson and Allison Burgess to form Craftea. Craftea workshops are held at The Berry Tea Shop in the evening of the 2nd Friday of every month, with a special workshop in between. “Each workshop goes for about two hours,” says Paulina. “Each time everyone makes something from upcycled materials, while enjoying a glass of bubbly, a cup of tea and something sweet. So far we’ve had workshops making advent calendars, journals made from discarded cereal boxes and little brooches made from old t-shirts.”
The Berry Tea Shop’s teas and tea accessories are also available online. “We now send our teas and teaware all around Australia,” says Paulina. “We have people returning to order time and time again.”
And what teas do this pair of tea experts enjoy themselves? “My favourite is Earl Grey,” says Paulina, “while Cliff likes a nice, smoky Russian Caravan.”
More information about The Berry Tea Shop, including opening hours, contact and address details.