Today’s guest is the tea-loving Londoner Henrietta Lovell, also known as 'The Rare Tea Lady’. Who, for the last 20 years, has traversed the globe in search of the world’s most exquisite teas.
Henrietta’s love of loose-leaf tea was awakened when a highflying corporate job took her to the dazzling harbour of Hong Kong, where a single sip of oolong transformed her life. She was seduced by the extraordinary flavour and set out to revolutionise the way we drink tea in the West by starting the Rare Tea Company.
Since then she has worked alongside the most celebrated chefs, such as Noma’s René Redzepi, Heston Blumenthal and Momofuku’s David Chang – who all seek her expertise in tea.
Henrietta’s quest to source leaves directly from farmers and connect with tea growing communities has enticed her to estates in some of the most remote and unlikely of places. Pop the kettle on and make a cuppa because I can feel a rather enchanting episode brewing!
DESTINATION INSPIRATION
Copenhagen
Noma, Copenhagen
South West Scotland
Hong Kong
Fujian, China
Sikkim, India
Satemwa Tea Estate, Malawi
La Paz, Bolivia
Coroico, Bolivia
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Ryōan-ji, Kyoto
Higashiya Ginza, Tokyo
Claridge's, London
Zealong Tea Estate, Waikato
If our conversation has given you a taste for quality tea you can visit rareteacompany.com or uncover more of her stories in Henrietta's beautiful book 'Infused: Adventures in Tea' available here.
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review so others can discover this podcast as well. If you’re looking for some more travel inspiration, you can find me on Instagram @escape.artist.podcast or visit www.escapeartistpodcast.com
See you next week for another episode of The Escape Artist!
Xx Edwina
(Music by the talented Giselle Rosselli)