How loose leaf tea could ease your lockdown stress
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As the reality of another few months of lockdown sinks in, we could all do with a lift right now. Young entrepreneur Katy Spalter believes she may hold the key with her loose tea business. Importing the finest teas and selling them alongside her super-handy portable tea filter, Spalter believes her restorative blends may be just the ticket for taking the edge off pandemic life.
How did KT come about?
I discovered loose-leaf tea on a trip to China when I was 16. I visited many of the beautiful, family owned rural tea plantations and tasted their artisan loose leaf tea. I left feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, a feeling I had never felt from Green Tea from a teabag.
So I set myself a mission: to build my own tea brand from scratch and to find a way to bring tea drinking and its benefits to busy, working people. Thus KT London was born, with its practical and stylish Tea Filter Bottles – already an ancient tradition in the east – to make drinking on the go more convenient.
After an amazing 5 years, I continue to bring artisan loose leaf tea and its health benefits to the UK.
Why are your portable tea filters more important than ever during the pandemic? (in terms of people getting out to exercise)
My initial goal with the loose-leaf tea filter bottles was to enable people to drink tea sustainably on the go. The bottle’s design features a tea strainer in the lid, an insulating cover and a handy strap. The pandemic has clearly taken some of the hustle out of our daily lives, but the need for loose leaf tea on the go has not been lost.
We now find ourselves looking for an excuse to leave the house and go for long walks come rain or shine, and who wouldn’t want to take a warm cup of delicious Jasmine or Green Tea with them? Not only will it keep you hydrated and warm, you will take in all of its amazing nutritional benefits. You can even reuse the same tea leaves up to three times.
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What are some of the proven benefits of tea?
Every tea variant has its own unique effects and benefits. Green Tea, for example, is great for the metabolism and keeping you energised, whilst Jasmine Tea helps to fight bacteria. My signature homemade blend called Lifestyle ‘Health’ Tea is a detox tea that stimulates digestion. Rose Tea and Oolong Tea have become fan favourites as they are high in Vitamin C, which can help the immune system.
How would you recommend a beginner approach tea?
Is there such a thing in England? We’ve all grown up drinking tea, I’m just offering a different kind of tea experience. Some teas contain caffeine, some don’t, some teas are fruity, some are plain, some are good for the morning, some for the evening. I have a tea to suit every occasion.
Start by ordering my free six-tea sample pack, which you can find on the homepage of my website. Or simply read through the many benefits of each tea and see what most suits your needs. Whichever you choose, you will not be disappointed.
Are behaviours around tea changing in the way attitudes to coffee have changed over the last decade?
Tea, unlike coffee, is an all-day option. Coffee is an easy caffeine boost, but not much else. Loose Leaf Tea tastes good and has amazing benefits. You can have it to energise you on your morning walk, as a pick me or digestion stimulant after lunch, or a relaxing accompaniment to your evening Zoom quiz.
If you have a serious coffee addiction that you don’t think you could give up, consider switching to matcha, the espresso of the tea industry! Matcha is green tea leaves ground into a fine, delicate powder that can be drunk with hot water or in the form of a latte. You’ll still get your caffeine fix, but one that will last you a few hours rather than the concentrated 45 minutes coffee tends to offer.
How does KT’s business work – is it delivery? Subscription?
Covid has really helped grow the online presence of K-T London and we have become really attuned to what people are looking for when it comes to online shopping. For small businesses like mine, it means more people are willing to take a leap of faith and try something new.
I also have a tea subscription service for either six months or 12 months, where you get a new bag delivered to your door once a month. I recently set up a lifestyle blog on my website called ‘Passions’ to promote the lifestyle of drinking tea and staying healthy.
Visit ktlondon.co.uk for a free sample and for more information about the brand. Use discount code CITYAM15 to receive 15 per cent off all orders.