������Ƶ

Acorn Vendor of the Week: Specialty Tea Products

submitted by Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café

Pour yourself a cup of tea, and let have a chat with Samantha from Specialty Tea Products (S•TEA•P)!

What exactly is S•TEA•P?

“S•TEA•P Specialty Tea Products carries handcrafted, Michigan-inspired loose-leaf tea. Our teas, with names such as Great Lakes, Petoskey Stones, True Blue, etc., represent the great state of Michigan in name and flavor profile, allowing Michiganders the opportunity to reconnect to their favorite Michigan places, communities, and memories through tea.”

What is your background story and why did you start S•TEA•P?

“From the moment I discovered loose-leaf tea I was hooked. On my first visit to an actual tea shop I remember thinking, ‘THIS. This is what I want to do.‘ But I already had a career, and leaving that to start my own business seemed idealistic … unattainable, even.

Fast-forward 20 years, three states, two jobs, a husband, and a baby. It was 2020 and I was leaving my career to do something else I thought I‘d never do … be a stay-at-home mom. Around that same time I took that leap, I took another. With encouragement from my amazing partner and husband, I started my own business. S•TEA•P — Specialty Tea Products became a reality.

Most of my time is spent with my daughter, Georgiana, doing typical 4-year-old things. She likes to ‘assist‘ when I make deliveries. She puts tea into bags at Market Wagon, visits the animals at White Lotus and Vestergaard, and has even attended meetings at Stone & Spoon and Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café.

Every day is an adventure, and we have fun no matter what we do!”

Why Michigan?

“I often get asked, ‘Why Michigan?‘ As in, why Michigan-themed or -inspired teas? Well, it kind of happened by accident. When I started S•TEA•P in 2019, all of our teas had traditional tea names. Some of you may remember Leopard Blend, Iron Goddess of Mercy, or even Congou Rose.

So, what happened? It was 2020. I‘d just ‘restarted‘ S•TEA•P after a six-month ‘COVID break.‘ Still not able to attend in-person farmers markets, I shifted to building wholesale relationships. One of our first retail partners was in Lansing. I thought it would be fun to create a couple of Michigan-themed teas geared to that market. The concept fit with the retail partner‘s focus on local products. Thus, Capital Cherry and Green & White came to be.

Coming up with the names and the teas was fun, so I did a few more … and a few more … I couldn‘t seem to stop. It was fun. Plus, for me, there was something more enjoyable about brewing and drinking a cup of Picturesque Peninsula rather than Leopard Blend — even if it was the exact same tea. And others seem to agree!“

So, why Michigan-themed? 

“Because it makes people feel good.”

Anything else you’d like to share?

“S•TEA•P is a home-based business in Ypsilanti. Woman-owned and -operated, we are proud to be family run. Our tea is hand-packaged in a commercial kitchen and available for purchase through our website, from various retail partners throughout the state of Michigan, and at the occasional farmers market or craft fair.”

Where people can follow/contact you?

“On our website: ; call 734.514.4330; Instagram: @s.tea.p; or Facebook: @SpecialtyTeaProducts. A variety of tea flavors can be found at Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café, located at 455 West Main St.“

To shop from Samantha‘s full line of tea and tea products, come visit her booth at Acorn‘s Outdoor Market Opening Day next Thursday, May 5, from 3 to 6pm, right outside of the Manchester Market building! She will have free tea samples in honor of our Mother Day Tea event.

Let us know what tea flavors you’d like to see inside at Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.