So excited to do a retailer spotlight on the wonderful Friday Afternoon Tea! Friday has run an amazing tea shop for over a decade serving up tea blends, pure teas and more. I’ve enjoyed several teas from Friday recently, I am currently sipping on moon magic! Want to know more about Friday Afternoon Tea? Check out the interview questions below!

Who knows, maybe you’ll encounter Friday Afternoon Tea in a future countdown box :D

Please also check out the Friday Afternoon Tea shop!

Some of my favorites: Zhang Ping Shui Xian, Darkest Chai, Moon Magic, Father Zambezi’s Mission Oolong

1) Can you give us a little introduction about you/Friday Afternoon Tea?

I'm Friday (yes, that's my real name), the founder, CEO, and Head Tea Witch of Friday Afternoon Tea. My tea company is best known for our synesthesia-derived fandom tea blends, unusual small farm pure teas and big ol' Care Bear heart. It's my life mission to serve as liaison between ethically-run small farms and a customer's Exact Right Tea for any given moment, mood, weather, book, etc. If a guest does not feel like they're being personally greeted with a loving hug from an old friend after every cup, I do not consider my job complete. So that's us, basically.

2) When did you start drinking tea?

My grandmother was an herbalist, so growing up I had an intimate relationship with medicinal plants. "Tea" typically consisted of chamomile, lavender, olive leaf, spearmint, blackberry leaf, and so on. We drank tea together to set intentions, aid sleep, or ward off colds. True tea didn't really enter the picture for me until I was about twelve. I had a bagged strawberry black tea while visiting Vancouver, BC with my mom and fully lost my mind. I was like, "Whaaaaa? Black tea can taste like that?!" and from that moment I got really weird about tea. Flash forward to my first restaurant job out of cooking school at 17 years old: an English tea room's kitchen. I got my hands on a Golden Monkey for the first time and that was that. I became obsessed and haven't stopped studying tea since!

3) What inspired you to start Friday Afternoon Tea?

When I say I got obsessed with tea, I mean I got obsessed. When I develop an interest, I go deep. Hermione Granger levels of dweebdom. So on my mission to learn everything about tea and taste every single tea, I quickly discovered that I will never be able to accomplish either of those goals. Which means a lifetime of learning and tasting and connecting and building friendships over a world of tea tables. What a life! I had to start my own company both because I wanted the freedom to pursue, evolve, and express myself creatively in my work, and because I didn't want to choose between a vibrant career and being very present for my child's early years. It was a single mom dream to do work I love and not miss out on any of their Firsts.

4) What does your personal tea ritual look like?

When I slow down for tea, rather than just having it on the go all day every day while I'm working, I have a little corner in my home office with twinkle lights and a soft blanket on the floor. There's a shelf at hand with all my gaiwans, tea pets, and a basket of my favorite teas for gongfu service. I have two trays and really enjoy picking out specific pieces to suit my mood. I also like to pair a tarot deck (there are about thirty on a shelf under the gongfu trays) and quietly read cards while I drink my tea.

5) Do you have a current favorite tea?

You know that's an impossible question! I refuse to pick one, but I WILL give you one pure tea and one blended. For pure tea, I'm obsessed with a gorgeous unsmoked Lapsang Souchong from the Lin farm in Fujian China. It's figgy and smooth and the leaf is so shiny! For blended tea, I'm all about our Friday's Evening. South Indian decaf black tea with rose, tulsi, and cardamom. It tastes like daydreams.

6) Where do you draw inspiration from for your blends?

I'm drawn to lush language, bright colors, and deep feelings. My brain is wired such that I literally taste words, feelings, ideas, etc., and I choose to create blends that translate things I find beautiful into tea blends for others to experience as well! Music, movies, books, weather, memories...you name it.

7) Is there anything upcoming this holiday season and beyond for Friday Afternoon Tea that you're excited about?

I'm always excited about everything, so this is gonna be a big yes. We're very excited about our brand new Zodiac-inspired collection, which I think is going to be our most popular gift this season. We're also bringing our CommuniTea Book Club back for a second year, and early next year we are planning to crowdfund an expansion into a secondary storefront with a dedicated production facility! We've really outgrown our little tea house and are excited to have space to do all the cool projects we want to take on (hello, tea advent calendars for 2022), not to mention be able to shorten our turnaround times and take on more wholesale clients. All very exciting stuff!