I love tea. Actually, I think I prefer it to coffee, but don’t tell my fellow Seattleites that or I’ll be hung from the nearest Starbuck’s. I used to be able to find my favorite teas from Murchie’s at The Crumpet Shop in Pike Place Market, but last time I checked they no longer carried it.

Murchie’s Tea & Coffee has been in operation in British Columbia since 1894. Their goal is “focused on procuring only the highest grades of Fairly Traded teas and coffees obtained from the finest tea gardens and coffee farms.” Their coffees are roasted on site at their plant in Richmond, BC, where their teas and spices are also blended and packaged. According to Murchie’s, their “philosophy is grounded in purchasing their products only from growers that contribute to requisite wages, schools and medical facilities for their workers.” To me, that alone makes the tea sweet.

Barnaby likes their fruit blended teas; my two favorites are Earl Grey and their famous Empress Afternoon Blend, their exclusive blend served at Afternoon Tea (until 2001) at the Empress Hotel, a stone’s throw from their Victoria store.

You can purchase their products online, but it’s much more fun to go to their store in Victoria where you can buy 12-bag sample boxes of tea for about $5 Canadian.

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