Toronto Tea Lovers, Celebrate with Tea – Support & Shop Local with The Sugared Teacup’s *NEW* Tea Gift Box Business!

IT’S ANNOUNCEMENT TIME!!!!!!!!  Ate by Ate’s sister, The Sugared Teacup, (http://www.thesugaredteacup.com) has been preoccupied for the last little while for a veeeery good reason and the news is out: THE SUGARED TEACUP IS NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!!  The Sugared Teacup has partnered with many of Toronto’s finest local tea shops and businesses to give you a “Taste of Toronto” tea-style for the holidays and hopefully into the new year and beyond with SPECIAL THEMED TEA BOXES!

I’m beyond ecstatic and excited and nervous and every other crazy emotion imaginable because this is my baby.  The Sugared Teacup is no longer just a blog; it’s a business idea and brand that I have put my heart and soul into for months and I am overjoyed that I can watch it grow with the love and support from the community – the blogging community, the tea community, our local community, and so many others.

Okay, so before I dive in and give everyone the details on how make a purchase, I want to explain how this all came about from the very beginning.  Back in September, I was laying in bed when I was suddenly struck with an idea: how great would it be to start a tea box subscription business with the local tea shops and businesses?!  Subscription box services have been growing in popularity over the last number of years.  Everything from organic food, cosmetics, stationery, and books can be delivered to your doorstep every month in a fun and unique package of goodies.  Tea boxes have definitely been a part of the fun so while I knew this was not a new idea and that I certainly wasn’t re-inventing the wheel by thinking about this, I knew I wanted to put my own mark on it and make it different from anything else out there.  So I got to work.

How are The Sugared Teacups’s Tea Boxes (“Sugared Tea Boxes”!) different?  It’s all about keeping everything local.  As I’m envisioning this idea unfold as time goes on, I absolutely want to involve other tea businesses (and tea-related businesses!) in Ontario and the rest of Canada but for the time being, this idea has its roots in Toronto – literally.  There are many tea box businesses out there that operate in many different ways.  Some use smart technology to determine what type of tea drinker you are by having you take a survey and they base their monthly selections on that profile.  Other businesses send a surprise box each month.  And others focus and introduce their subscribers to different brands and businesses from across the globe, all the while sourcing their own teas.  The Sugared Teacup tea boxes are all about 1) supporting Toronto tea businesses, 2) giving tea lovers lots of fun and variety, and 3) allowing everyone to try teas they wouldn’t normally go out of their way to try.

When I was chewing on this idea back in September, I thought about why I loved the idea so much and why others would too.  Not only is this a huge creative outlet for me (I decorate and personalize every box!  The crafting scrapbook princess in me is so ridiculously happy right now!), the tea boxes target some of the issues some people face when it comes to tea and shopping for it.  For example, some are deterred from ordering online because they need to spend x amount of dollars for free shipping, otherwise they could be spending more on shipping than they are on the tea.  Now this wouldn’t be an issue for those who are dedicated to a specific brand or business.  However, I know there are many who don’t want to spend so much on teas they may not like in such large quantities (for example, in 50g or 100g quantities).  These tea boxes give you the variety and the opportunity to try many teas in smaller amounts.  Some teas come in full size (there are some in special tins!), but the majority of the teas come in smaller pouches so instead of hemming and hawwwing over trying to choose 1 or 2 full size teas at full price, you get at least 5 teas in adorable packaging!

There are also many people who love tea but are unadventurous in their exploration of the city.  I know there are folks who’ve never even ridden the subway or streetcar!  So the likeliness of them discovering these different tea shops and business is very low.  There are SO MANY amazing tea shops and businesses here in Toronto so these boxes give everyone the chance to get to know them without having to schlep out there visiting 6 different places or feeling overwhelmed and not having a clue what they should try or feeling uncertain of what they might like.  I blog so I do this anyway for a living!  And because I love doing it.  Not to mention I’m used to choosing teas for people who don’t know what they want (like my brother!  And my mom!  And others!).  But not everyone is going to wake up at the crack of dawn to haul their tooshie out to buy tea.  I do the work for you by putting together a fantastic box of tea based on your preferences (more about that below), giving you a “taste of Toronto”.  Because at the heart of it, that’s what this is!  I kept thinking to myself, “well, for me, I would LOVE it if I could try a bunch of local teas from say, Vancouver.  Or Nova Scotia.  Or Seattle.  Or anywhere!”  I wish someone could send me a box of teas like that.  So I thought, “well, why don’t I do that for Toronto?”

And that is how The Sugared Teacup Tea Boxes were born!

In a nutshell, I’m offering 6 different themed tea boxes (as well as a special Earl Grey Lovers box!): black tea, green tea, mixed teas (black, green, rooibos), herbal/rooibos/caffeine-free, fruity teas, and dessert teas.  You choose the type of box(es) you’d like and I put together a fabulous selection of teas from all the wonderful shops and businesses based on this selection!  It’s that easy!

This is the soft launch for the holidays, meaning if it does well, I’ll be growing the business by offering subscriptions and shipping across the country (and maybe the US if I can make it work!).  FOR THE HOLIDAY SOFT LAUNCH THOUGH, I am keeping it entirely local, meaning Markham and Toronto pick-ups and drop-offs for tea box purchases.  

Head on over to the Tea Boxes page on The Sugared Teacup’s menu bar (http://www.thesugaredteacup.com/teaboxes) to fill out a form to make a purchase – I have a BLACK FRIDAY WEEK INTRODUCTION PROMOTION GOING ON THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS!  All online transactions will be handled using PayPal.  If you’re uncomfortable purchasing online or if you would prefer to not use PayPal and pay in cash, please feel free to download an order form using the PDF file link at the bottom of the Tea Boxes page; you can e-mail me at thesugaredteacup@hotmail.com telling me what selections and quantities you’d like and you can simply bring me a hard copy of the form for receipt purposes upon pick-up and drop off.

I’ve been working really hard to turn this idea, dream, and passion into a reality and I am SO thankful and grateful for the tea shops and businesses that have so graciously jumped on board with it!  (Check out the Tea Boxes page to see which tea shops and businesses I’ve partnered with so far!).  This is just the beginning of a crazy new chapter in The Sugared Teacup’s journey and I am so happy and excited to have you all be a part of it.  SUPPORT LOCAL, SHOP LOCAL!  Let the games begin!

 

Tea in TO – Blackcurrant Tea & a Newfound Love of Twinings of London!

Get ready for some gushing: this is a long overdue love letter to the tart and sweet, juicy blackcurrant flavour and the empire of teas, Twinings of London!  I know, I know.  I’m either embarrassingly clueless or just really, really, REALLY late to the party.  In this case, I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a little bit of both.  People have most likely been sipping away on this wonderful tea for eons while I’m here just raving about it now!  Twinings of London has been around for what seems like an eternity (I read they are celebrating 300+ years and counting, good lord!) and aside from passing by and throwing very brief glances at their tea boxes in some supermarkets, I had never bought a box to try until now and this newfound love makes me all smiley and excited!  It’s such a surreal feeling, one of those, “where have you been all my life?!”  or for that matter, “where the heck have I been?!” moments when you realize that you so totally could have been learning about it and enjoying it sooner.

The love didn’t just poof into existence in a day though.  It all started with the Twinings Tassimo T-Discs I saw at work late last year.  Then I happened upon a beautiful magazine ad of a Twinings tea collection on a bookshelf.  A gorgeous, beautiful tea collection!  And finally, my fellow FBCer Heather Mulholland of Tea With Me did me in when she told me about her trip to the actual Twinings Tea Shop in London when we met at FBC2013.  And then she went ahead and did one better: she sent me a sample of a lavender Earl Grey she had purchased from the shop in London.  Well, colour me freakin’ ecstatic and say hello to a new tea obsession!  As mortifying as it is to admit that Twinings was never part of my foodie/tea world until I snapped out of my cluelessness this year, I like to look on the bright side of things: there are SO MANY delicious flavours to Ooo and ahhh over and try and by golly I have the rest of my life to try them!

My first official box?  Their blackcurrant!  Over the last year I have truly fallen head over heels for the blackcurrant flavour all over again.  Not only do I adore Bobbette & Belle’s blackcurrant/cassis macarons, but it also makes me feel all warm and fuzzy because the flavour itself brings back childhood memories.

When I was little, I couldn’t get enough of the Ribena blackcurrant juice drink my parents used to get from the Chinese supermarkets.  I would feel so grown up lifting those heavy bottles all by myself, pouring some into a glass and diluting it with drinking water so it wouldn’t be too thick and concentrated.  It was my favourite drink growing up and I would always enjoy it with my dad by my side as he loved it just as much as I did.  Some kids thrive on milk.  Others get a little addicted to soda.  And then there are those who are more than content with juice boxes.  Me?  Ribean blackcurrant juice all the way, baby.  For me, this is the love of tea and the nostalgia of my childhood all wrapped into one sweet and charming Twinings of London box and you can bet it will always be close to my heart well after the tea pouches are gone.

And for those of you who are wondering where this sweet little box came from, it came from one amazing supermarket chock full of European foods and goodies, a food emporium I’ll be posting about tomorrow.  Stay tuned for my upcoming post on the European foodie powerhouse in town known as Yummy Market!

Hearts Racing for Coconut Tea – Coconut Chocolate, Mango & Chai Latte in Tea Forte’s Coconut Tea Set!

Have you ever found something in a shop or seen something online and loved it so much it made you instantly go, “OHMYGOD!  IWANTITIWANTITIWANTIT!”  That was me when I went perusing through Tea Forte’s website and discovered their fabulous and uber awesome COCONUT tea set!  I was beside myself.  I had to use every ounce of willpower not to impulsively click “BUY”.  It didn’t even matter that I hadn’t registered for an account or read through their shipping and payment terms; all logic just flew out the window because I wanted that coconut tea set!  If I had to choose a favourite type of tea, it would have to be coconut tea, hands down.  I love my different dessert teas, but my all-time favourites are coconut flavoured ones: Coconut Almond from Steeped & Infused (they haven’t opened their new location yet, so in the meantime, visit their WEBSITE to order) and Coconut Blossom from Tealish on Queen West.

I know I go on and on about how much I love lemon desserts and lemon-flavoured things but when it comes to tea, coconut tea of ANY kind wins my heart!  Coconut is just so versatile – kind of like potatoes and eggs.  And let it be known that I have never met a spud or egg dish that I didn’t love and the same goes for coconut tea.  You can pair it with fruits, nuts, vanilla, chocolate and any other dessert combination and this is one of the reasons why I love it so much; the flavour is fresh, fruity, nutty, and sweet all in one.

Tea Forte and I met for the first time during the Christmas holidays in December.  My best friend had bought me their popular Dolce Vita dessert tea tin set which came with 6 silken tea infusers in 6 different dessert flavours and combos, my favourite being the Belgian Mint.  From that point on, I knew I had to integrate and keep Tea Forte products in my ever-growing rotating collection!

Tea at Indigo!

I was a little worried at first that I wouldn’t be able to find many Tea Forte teas around town but Indigo has really expanded their Tea Forte selection over the last several months and that’s actually where I saw the Tea Forte Coconut collection in person for the first time.  I was so happy when I found the different Coconut sets at Indigo!  They had the Coconut tea set in a tin, in a box, ones with 6, 10, and 20, and even a gift set with several of the coconut teas with a gorgeous mug!  I thought for sure I was out of luck on the buying-in-store front and was prepared to buy it off their website if I really needed to.

Luckily for me though both Indigo and Blue Banana in Kensington Market carry Tea Forte teas and accessories!  YES, Blue Banana in Kensington Market, one of my favourite shops in the whole city!  Their tea selection is to-die-for.  They have Tea Forte, Kusmi Tea, Mighty Leaf, Harney & Sons and so much more.  It would make any tea lover hot under the collar.

I bought my Coconut tea set from Blue Banana ($14.95).  This set comes with 10 silken tea infusers in 3 coconut flavours: Coconut Chocolate Truffle, Coconut Mango Colada, and Coconut Chai Latte.  The infusers come in a beautiful portable box and all the infusers are individually wrapped in little cardboard pyramids.  What I love about their teas is that the infusers don’t get soggy in your tea cup or mug; they hold their shape incredibly well.  And look at the adorable little green leaf up at the top!  It’s incredibly cute as it bobs up and down while you drink.

The Coconut Chocolate Truffle smells soooo good and the taste isn’t cloying or overpowering.  I’d even say that it leans more towards the earthy kind of chocolate taste with the sweetness of coconut.  This is a perfect warm and comforting kind of tea.  It has a lot of depth in flavour and to truly get the full experience, you need to hold it up close when it’s warm the soak in the aroma and drink it really slow, letting those first notes linger in your mouth when you first take a sip.  You’re not going to taste it fully if you gulp it down quickly.  It totally makes sense to sip citrus flavours a little faster in my opinion (letting it linger just makes it taste bitter), but not this one.  Aroma to contact is what you want to get the full yumminess affect!

I’m hoping to try the Coconut Chai Latte and Coconut Mango Colada this week so I can choose my favourite out of the three.  And then I’ll keep daydreaming about adding more Tea Forte to my ever-growing tea collection.  For tea lovers, there’s no such thing as too much tea.

*****

Blue Banana is located at 250 Augusta Ave. in Kensington Market, just south of College Street, west of Spadina.  To check out Tea Forte’s huuuuge colleciton of tea sets, accessories, loose leaf tins and more, visit their website at http://www.teaforte.com/

The Cupcake Connection, Vol. 007 – My Cup of Cupcake Tea! The Lemon Earl Grey at Desmond & Beatrice and Tea Cupcakes in the City

Certainly my cup of “cupcake” tea!

What’s better than a cupcake with a steaming cup of yummy hot loose leaf tea?  A tea flavoured cupcake with a hot cup of tea!  Or in David’s Tea’s case, a tea modeled after the cupcake and cake (read: Red Velvet Cake, one of the most fantastical things you will ever drink during your lifetime).  The tea and cupcake love is truly reciprocal!  I’ve long dreamt about baking my own green tea white chocolate cupcakes and steeping tea to flavour frostings and cakes alongside pretty cups, pots, and saucers for my own afternoon tea parties.  And after reading Yummy Stuff’s November 1st blog post, I was over the moon: their November cupcake flavours of the month are Earl Grey and Chai latte!  That’s just love on top of more love.  I started mentally going through the month of November, figuring out which weekend I’d be free to swing by for the two cupcakes (that’s right, BOTH.  Go big or go home) and then I thought, “this would be a great time to do a Cupcake Connection on tea cupcakes!” because believe it or not, a number of cupcake bakeries around the city offer cupcakes infused with bold flavours straight out of a cuppa!

One of my favourite, FAVOURITE cupcakes is the lemon and Earl Grey cupcake from Desmond & Beatrice (pictured below).  Oh my goodness is it ever delicious and fantastic.  Their Earl Grey cupcake ($2.75) is tea flavoured in cake and topped with a honey lemon frosting and dusted with pink crystal sugar sprinkles.  It is beautiful and everything you could want in a scrumptious lemon cupcake (this will be going straight to my eventual Flavour Favourites post for lemon cupcakes) and in a tea cupcake.

It’s dainty, it’s sweet, it’s feminine, floral, bright, fresh, and the epitome of afternoon tea elegance.  The flavour and essence is like a cross between the classic floral notes of Earl Grey (even though I know the flavour is derived from the citrusy bergamot, I get more floral than I do citrus from it!) and the sweet lightness and freshness of a honey lemon poppy seed cake.  The cupcake doesn’t have a poppy seeds in it, but it makes me think of poppy seed cake just because.  So, grab a cuppa and sit back and relax as we list cupcakes around the city inspired by the soothing and delicious loose leaf beverage!

• Life is Sweet, 2328 Queen Street East: Earl Grey with Orange Coconut ($2.50) – exactly as the name says!  This sounds absolutely heavenly and I need to have this in my mouth NOW.  Permanent flavour on the menu.
• So Into Cupcakes, 2060 Ellesmere Road: Chai Vanilla Latte ($2.50 for regular size, $1.50 for mini) – vanilla cake topped with chai buttercream frosting and whipped vanilla and sprinkled with cinnamon.  Seasonal flavour, available during the month of October.
• The Wedding Cake Shoppe, 859 College Street: Green Tea ($2.65) – their signature vanilla bean cake topped with Japanese green tea buttercream frosting.  Cindy compares it to green tea ice cream on cake!  Daily rotation; call ahead to ask (416-916-2253) or keep up with their Facebook page for daily listings of flavours.
• The Wedding Cake Shoppe, 859 College Street: Spicy Chai Latte ($2.65) –  Sprinkled with cinnamon, this chai spiced cupcake is made with fresh brewed chai tea and ground spices for the frosting on either vanilla bean or chocolate cake.  Daily rotation; call ahead to ask (416-916-2253) or keep up with their Facebook page for daily listings of flavours.
•  Yummy Stuff, 1660 Queen Street West in Parkdale: Chai Latte ($2.75) – rich chocolate cupcake adorned with chai spice buttercream frosting full of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and more.  Seasonal flavour, available during the month of November.
• Yummy Stuff, 1660 Queen Street West in Parkdale: Earl Grey ($2.75) – light and spongy bergamot cupcake with Earl Grey and orange zest buttercream frosting.  Seasonal flavour, available during the month of November.

Tea, Sunshine & A Beautiful, Fairy Tale Vegan Lunch at Prime at Windsor Arms Hotel, Part I!

*****

The Windsor Arms Hotel is located at 18 Saint Thomas Street, just south of Bloor St. W, between Bay St. and Avenue Rd.   In addition to their afternoon tea service, Windsor Arms Hotel is also known for their fine dining and most recently, their newly added vegan menus at Prime restaurant!

It’s Time for Four O’Clock Tea! Chocolate Spice, Gingerbread, Almond Biscotti & Hunting for Tea Around the City!!

Puddles splashed under my feet, the air was damp and cold enough to chill me to the bone, and my umbrella was one gust away from auditioning for Mary Poppins.  And yet there I was, adrenaline pumping, frolicking around town with the most excited, giddy feeling bubbling out of me.  Nope, it wasn’t because of cupcakes.  Or sushi.  And no, I didn’t find a chunk of change on the ground although that would have been pretty nice too.  No, I was bursting with delightful joy because I had just bought two boxes of tea.  TEA!!  I could shout it from the rooftops: I LOVE MY TEAAAA!

I have never been more ecstatic over a food and drink purchase in my life.  And as you all know, I get excited about many things so this is huge!  I know, I gush about cupcakes and macarons and vegetarian food and Italian and brunch and cookbooks and food accessories and all that good stuff.  But I never had to hunt for any of it.  This time I hunted.  I looked and I hunted and I was rewarded with treasure: a total of 3 boxes of amazing tea that I cannot wait to drown my tea mesh ball in!  Before you ask what the heck I’m even talking about, let me start from the beginning.

Over the past several years, I’ve been drinking loose leaf tea on a pretty regular basis.  As a child, I would drink tea at dim sum with my family, sure, but this was different.  This was me going out to buy loose leaf from David’s Tea, going out to grab a cup at a cute tea shop, and keeping up with new flavours and flavours I had already tried.  After starting my job at Kraft, the tea situation has only intensified.  I drink tea every morning at work now.  I don’t miss a beat.  I drink tea the same way java junkies inhale their coffee.  I stock up and actually have a cute purple paper bag from Steeped & Infused that I keep in the cupboard of my co-worker’s kitchen that is full of loose leaf tea baggies in all sorts of flavours so I’ll always have something to choose from in the mornings.  And said co-worker?  Bless her heart, she adores tea as much as I do (if not more) and shares her loot with me.

Basically, my tea obsession has just gotten ridiculous.  But I don’t care.  Because I love it and it makes me happy.

So, my dear co-worker, who goes through Union station every morning to get to work, was given tea samples by some nice folks during the morning rush hour not too long ago.  Knowing how much I loved having a cuppa every day, she asked for a few extras so she could surprise me.  These tea samples were none other than the ones from the fair trade, organic Four O’clock brand and tea collection!  I was completely taken aback.  Four O’clock teas?!  How did this get past my radar?!  The packaging looked completely unfamiliar and the name didn’t ring a bell.  For all I knew, I could have had a tea from them in the past without knowing it was actually from them.  Either way, I brewed a cup of chai from one of the samples and fell utterly head over heels in love.  OH.MY.GOD.  Tea is warm, cozy heaven in a cup.  I had to know what in the world this tea was all about.

So I did what any savvy, modern foodie would do: I Googled them.

And I was floored.  As part of the Trans-herbe company based in Quebec, Four O’Clock teas are sold all over the world and are available in shops and health food stores all across the country and province.  Their website has a section where you can search for shops that sell Four O’Clock tea (CLICK HERE) and oh my goodness is there EVER a ridiculous number of places that carry it in Toronto and York Region!  This is my holy grail tea guide, folks!  And the flavours!  Banana Cinnamon Spice!  Tiramisu!  Raspberry Cream!  There was no way I was going to let this slip by and fade into oblivion.  I was going to hunt these teas down if it was the last thing I did.

And that, my dear friends, is how and why I ended up splashing in puddles around town looking for Four O’Clock tea in the wet and cold god-awful weather (not during the Whole Foods trip though, that day was sunny!).  And I’m over-the-moon blissfully happy because I snagged 3, count ’em THREE boxes of tea!!  And two of them are from their brand spankin’ new winter tea collection!!  I don’t even care that I came home with the toes of my shoes completely soaked!  I picked up a box of Chocolate Spice from Whole Foods Market in Yorkville ($3.99 with a $0.50 off coupon at Whole Foods) and the other two special winter collection boxes ($3.99 each) at Essence of Life Organics health food store in Kensington Market.  Chocolate Spice, Gingerbread, and Almond Biscotti!!  CAN YOU TELL HOW EXCITED I AM?!  Hunting for this teas was and is so much fun.  Not only am I getting to know a new (to me) brand of tea, I’m also getting to know shops I’ve never been to and in the future, possibly even parts of town I’ve never even been around.  Sigh.  I’m so happy.

And I am not afraid to say this: free samples totally work.

Scones & Strawberry Marshmallow Macarons – Afternoon Tea Treats on a Fall Morning at Yorkville Espresso Bar

Ste. Anne’s coconut black tea at Yorkville Espresso Bar!

An espresso bar and cafe with amazing tea, delicious scones, and adorable macarons among other afternoon tea-style sweets and treats?  In the picturesque neighbourhood of Yorkville?  That’s a cafe after my own heart!  Yorkville Espresso Bar, located at 3 Yorkville Ave. just west of Yonge Street near the Toronto reference library and just steps away from the Cookbook Store and my beloved Italian-vegetarian Mela Cafe, is a new cafe that just opened up last year and after my very first visit, I think it’s a wonderful and splenderific addition to the neighbourhood.  Brunch, vegetarian, Mexican, ice cream, macarons, Italian, Middle-Eastern, pub classics, and now a new espresso bar and cafe – aside from Kensington Market, Yorkville is truly my ideal place to eat to my heart’s content.

The pretty Yorkville park nearby

I know, there are plenty of cafes in the area including Lettieri and Zaza, not to mention around the city in general, so what makes this space so great?  The thing about cafes is that they have to offer something different, something a little more unique in order to stand out from the others.  Because let’s face it, it’s not like we have to go very far to fetch an Americano, a cappuccino, or an espresso and while yes, every cafe will have their own way of making these drinks, it’s the atmosphere and the food goodies that accompany these drinks that will make us foodies feel compelled to come back for more.  Some cafes offer the comfort factor with plushy seats to relax in while you read, sip, munch, or type away on a laptop (or a tablet, sigh), others are great as meeting spots for friends, and then the are the ones that are fabulous purely for the food and drink.  THIS would be Yorkville Espresso Bar’s forte.

It’s a small space so you wouldn’t necessarily see large groups inhabiting it, but it is cozy enough for you to sit down with a friend and a coffee, tea, and light meal or snack.  And let me just say, Yorkville Espresso Bar is awesomesauce in the food and goodies department.  There is something here for everyone: the sweet tooth, the vegetarian, the gluten-intolerant, and the just plain hungry!  Often times I’ll shy away from certain spots, not because I think their drinks are bad persay, but because I want something a little more special than baked goods wrapped in saran wrap in a basket or baked goods that look as though they just got a shot of steroids and a bath in grease.  That could be the food snob in me tsking but really, it’s unappealing and I know I can’t be the only one who feels this way!

Yorkville Espresso Bar is great though because their selection of food and sweets changes on a pretty consistent basis (from what I gather on their Facebook page where they announce menu items for the day), they’re always coming up with new and unique yummies to showcase, they offer a number of gluten-free menu items (see below in the next few paragraphs for examples!), and you know everything is fresh and hot off the press because the adjoining kitchen studio that handles the baking, cooking, and catering for the espresso bar doles them out throughout the day.  They were already baking their 2nd round of scones at 10am on a Sunday morning because they sold out of their 1st round.   Can you believe it?!

Oh!  And I can’t forget about their tea!  I honking LOVE the tea.  They get their teas from Ste. Anne’s (Ste. Anne’s Extraordinary Teas), which is actually a spa located in several spots in Ontario (Grafton and Port Hope) and the whole concept behind the tea is driven by the relaxing spa experience.  I had their black tea coconut tea with my cinnamon scone and strawberry marshmallow macaron (I KNOW – MARSHMALLOW!) and I loved it to itty bitty pieces.

Their food menu is insane.  Let’s start with the savoury, gluten-free muffins first.  These are items that have graced their display case of goodies over the last few months:

• sweet potato chocolate chip muffins
• sweet potato and cranberry muffins
• carrot and beetroot muffins
• blueberry flaxseed muffins
• gluten-free, vegan chocolate zucchini muffins!

Other savoury bites include jalapeno cornbread, brioche with dates, Parmesan, and thyme, 8-year old cheddar and chive scones, and bacon and thyme scones.  Okay, now the sweet stuff including cupcakes, gluten-free sweet muffins, sweet scones, chocolate and confectionery, and more:

• mini chocolate cupcakes with mango and Nutella frosting and dried mango
• mini chocolate cupcakes with mango buttercream frosting
• mini chocolate cupcakes with mocha buttercream frosting
• mini chocolate berry cheesecake cupcakes