Stallholder Spotlight - Angelina From Tea and Sympathy

It's market day TODAY

and we are very pleased to welcome Angelina from Tea and Sympathy to the market.

1. What do you create ?

My business is about sourcing beautiful leaf teas that I think people will love. Tea is a natural product that has been grown and enjoyed in Asia for a couple of thousand years before it made its way to the west. I don’t create the tea! but I do aim to inspire an interest in, and appreciation for the depth and diversity of tea.
2. What is your favourite thing that you sell ?

I have a range of delectable ‘Blue’ or oolong teas that I absolutely love. I have to try not to drink all my stock! They have such interesting and diverse flavour characteristics, but are relatively unknown outside Asia. I want to tell people about them!

3. How long have you been making/baking/creating ?

I have been a tea enthusiast for some time, but it has been the last year or so that I have been actively buying and tasting teas from around the world, and educating myself about the leaf!
4.Who inspires you to create ?

I feel inspired hearing and reading stories about people who have followed a passion and have successfully created a livelihood around that.
Lately I’ve met some great people doing interesting things with tea – Anne Norman aka Camellia Cha who authored Curiosi-tea, and May King Tsang are just two who come to mind.
My partner – a graphic designer and generally creative person – inspires me to ‘think outside the box’.
5.What made you want to sell your goodies at the market?

Selling at the market is a great way to engage with people, find out what they are after, and share some knowledge about tea. I like people to be able to smell and taste the teas that they buy, and at the markets you can do that – I usually have a few pots of different teas on the table for people to try.

6.Coffee or tea?

I don’t mind the odd cup of coffee, but I have a constant supply of green and blue teas throughout the day!

7.And how many do you need to be market ready ?

I would like more but I usually miss out in the rush of getting everything ready.
8.What’s the best thing about living in the Thornbury area ?
The people. And the sense of community.

9.Name three crafty things that you can’t live without :

I love handmade soaps - I can never have too many of those !

10.One more thing that our lovely market shoppers should know about you....?

I love talking about tea so come and have a chat whether or not you’re in the market for some new tea!

Thanks for joining us Angelina.

I look forward to trying your delicious teas at the market today.