Tea venture tastes global success

Emma Watson was a second-year naturopathy student when she started “playing around with the magic and benefits of herbs” in the small kitchen of her rental house.

The year was 2006 and, unable to find a chai tea that was therapeutic, aromatic and with more than a hint of spice, she decided to simply make it herself.

Emma recruited fellow student and then boyfriend Damien Amos to help sell her organic blend of chai tea at marketplaces and through local stores.

“There was positive feedback and people were asking us for more of a range because they’d end up going through us for their chai and have to go to another supplier for the rest of their tea,” she recollects.

“They were asking ‘have you got anything else?’ so from there we started to create some of those more unique blends and created a whole range of chai teas, more traditional herbal teas and our wellness range.”

Fast forward to today and the entrepreneurial pair from Barwon Heads are married with three children – Arrabella, 11, Nebraska, 6, and Pascal, 3 – and they are every bit as passionate about their now highly successful South Geelong-based business, Love Tea, which has gone global.

 

 

Originally known as Love Chai, the business changed names to reflect its impressive growth, now selling 60 different tea blends and more than 100 products, with 300 stockists across Australia and being sold throughout Hong Kong, New Zealand and Japan.

What began as a team of two has expanded to employ a tight-knit team of 15 people.

“It’s been a pretty amazing journey when I think about it,” Emma says, smiling.

“When we first started, I hoped it would become something like this. You are never sure when you start something but it was the dream to create a global tea brand.

“We were pretty young and the vision was always to help people to access really beautiful teas but also to do it in a way that would source certified organic ingredients and go through fair trade supply chains.

“The approach is always from the heart and from a place of care throughout the whole process.”

 

 

Creating a fully sustainable product and packaging was also key to their vision and values.

“The packaging is recycled card, we use vegetable-based inks, in the box we have a cello bag that looks like a plastic bag which holds the tea but is actually plant-based and compostable and the tea bags are also compostable,” Emma explains.

“It’s sustainable in all senses, I guess, and we also donate to an organisation called 1% For The Planet and through that we donate to a range of different environmental organisations.”

This week marks another milestone for Love Tea with the launch of a new product, Australian Botanicals, which is a celebration of the diverse botanicals native to Australia.

 

 

Emma and Damien collaborated with Australian growers to create the herbal blend which she describes as a refreshing caffeine-free herbal tea offering hints of eucalypt balanced with zesty notes of lemon myrtle.

“It is super exciting to launch a product made from native Australian botanicals,” Emma says.

“I think they are often forgotten about but they are so beautiful.

“It has been a real honour to work with local growers to bring this product to life.

“Being an Australian tea company I think it showcases us, especially if it does well in overseas markets as well, it is a nod to our home country.”

 

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Within the business Damien takes on the role of director, overseeing operations and taking care of production and logistics.

Emma is focussed on developing the blends, designing new products and export opportunities.

The online range also extends beyond tea and includes quality products such as stainless steel strainers, ceramic cups and teapots, and gift packs.

 

 

Reflecting on all they have achieved, Emma says she is particularly proud of the wellness range of naturopathic teas she designed to aid with health and wellbeing issues such as sleep, digestion, immunity, skin health, metabolism, liver cleanse, and vitality – among others.

“That’s where my passion lies because I’m a naturopath and I love that area.

“I was super excited to launch that range and they do very well.”

Emma is also grateful that what she creates goes on to become a special part of a customer’s life – a ritual often shared with those they love.

“Tea is a beautiful way to stop and reflect for a moment and then step forward into your day,” she says.

“I think people live such busy lives these days that it provides an opportunity to bring in this ritual you enjoy every day that helps you slow down and just enjoy the moment.”

Discover more about Love Tea and the new Australian Botanicals blend by visiting the Love Tea website and Facebook/Instagram @loveteaofficial.