Friends and business partners Jo Thomas and Karina Barry are ready to spill the tea about their new venture, Buds & Beads.
Karina owns Bells at Killcare and Jo is the former general manager of Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association. Last year they purchased specialty tea business Casa De Cha from "tea master" Mafalda Mountinho, spent six months with her developing loose-leaf and sparkling tea blends, and rebranded it to Buds & Beads.
"The buds are the delicate, first flush of spring growth, hand-picked for our teas at dizzying altitudes while they're bursting with flavour and life-giving nutrients. The beads are the delicate trails of fine bubbles that effervesce from our luscious and nourishing sparkling teas," Karina said of the name.
The 17-strong Buds & Beads range uses leaves ethically sourced from across the globe and blended, brewed and packaged in Australia. The pair engaged an all-female cast when it came to curating their product range - Mafalda, winemaker Suzanne Little, sommelier Michaela Clayton, "drinks innovation specialist" Kathy Cepanec and "branding specialist" Rowena Curlewis.
Becoming the custodians of Mafalda's premium teas was the catalyst for a paradigm lifestyle shift that took Jo and Karina entirely by surprise.
"We've traded our coveted wine cellars for treasured tea chests and we're happier and healthier for it," Karina said.
"Take it from two girls who fashioned careers around long lunches for decades ... they're better with a bottle of sparkling tea."
Added Jo: "There was a time it was all about wine, but we've arrived at a place in our lives where our bodies are crying out for some nurturing that we can happily embrace in our everyday lives ... since our eyes have been opened to the nuances of 'tea as it should be', it's become a lifestyle of making choices that nourish us, body, mind and spirit."
Karina and Jo have spent the past 12 months developing their knowledge about the five categories of tea: white, green, herbal, oolong and black. The story behind each tea, its health benefits and serving suggestions are shared on the packaging.
Like wine, a tea's unique characteristics are important: its place of origin, the altitude, the climate and soil composition where it is grown, when it is picked, the intricacies of preparation.
"All the teas we produce are equally stunning consumed on their own or paired with food - it is really important that the teas can be enjoyed with food," Jo said.
"Our purpose is to disrupt the tea world by showcasing how exciting and versatile tea can be, and giving tea the notoriety it deserves."
The Buds & Beads sparkling tea range is "a non-alcoholic, virtually no sugar, healthy alternate to alcohol and sugar-laden non-alcoholic offerings". There's the Ginger Rose, the rose-vanilla scented Silver Needles, and Before Rain, a blend of nectar-like jasmine and Woojeon green tea.
"You are getting all of the health benefits of green, white and herbal tea, and it can be consumed at any time of the day, on its own or as a food accompaniment," Jo explained.
"Further, the beautiful packaging presents as if it is a sparkling wine - when it's served in a champagne flute or wine glass it looks like a sparkling but it's tea. This takes the stigma out of not drinking alcohol - that is, you're not getting asked 'Why are you not drinking?' because it looks like you are."
Buds & Beads sparkling tea is available to taste and purchase at The Wine House and Hunter Resort cellar doors in the Hunter Valley.
For more information, including tasting notes, and to place an order, visit budsandbeads.com.au or @budsandbeadstea on Instagram.
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