Occasionally, you come across a business that is so considered and thoughtful, you fall in love. As longtime tea obsessives, we LOVE London Tea Club and its founder, loose leaf lover, Cecelia Lau. Oh and can we have some love for Charlie, Ceclia's schnauzer?
Cecelia founded London Tea Club in 2013 from her basement flat in Notting Hill. It was her mission to introduce better tea to London, sourcing everything from flavoured black teas to herbal infusions. She's built a tea business with integrity named as one of the top subscription services by everyone from Harper's Bazaar to Forbes.
As a London Tea Club member, each month, subscribers receive a large, beautiful glass vial of organically or naturally grown tea in sustainable packaging - selected to complement the balance of energy in our bodies as we move through the seasons. At Hesper Fox, our favourites are the "Lavender Mint", the "Evening Rose" and the "Blissful Sleep".
Cecelia relocated from London back to her native California in 2017 to the San Francisco area and is now living the dream, sipping tea (and working hard...) in the sunshine. We asked her about a few of her favourite things. Pour yourself a cup of tea and read on.
(Oh and if you're searching for a stylish, sustainable gift for a tea lover, look no further - check out the subscription here).
LIFE
Early bird or night owl? Early bird.
Meal of the Day - Breakfast, lunch or dinner? Lunch.
Coffee or Tea? TEA. (Natch)
Gin or Wine? Wine.
Before bed–book or boxset? Book, definitely.
What are you reading right now? Bad Blood by John Carreyrou.
I can’t start the day without.... Tea. Of course.
I can’t end the day without.... a long shower or hot bath.
Guilty Pleasure? Eating meat - I was pescatarian for 10 years before I got pregnant.
Best hangover cure? Complete darkness and silence. (We're with you Cecelia).
TRAVEL
Favourite Place to Explore? Hiking trails near my home.
Favourite Place to Relax? A tea house, anywhere.
Any Airplane must have’s? Noise cancelling headphones, a thermos of tea and a ton of moisturiser.
Top 3 things in your suitcase? Packing cubes, snacks and Hesper Fox sleep mask.
WORK
What motivates you? Supporting the farmers who work so hard to run natural, sustainable tea farms.
Did you always know what you wanted to do? Yep - I've always wanted to be a boss. (Us too!)
What made you start your business? I wanted to make it easier for Londoners to sample loose-leaf teas from around the world.
What achievement with your work are you most proud of? Relaunching the tea club in the USA with a much more curated selection of teas; natural and organic single-origin teas from small farms.
CALIFORNIA
Ok last question - you relocated back to San Francisco from London. You have friends coming to visit you from the UK who have never been before. What three places that you love would you take them to that they wouldn’t necessarily find in a guidebook?
I would take them to try the cedar enzyme bath at Osmosis Spa in Occidental (this is definitely a new one for our list) followed by lunch at Hog Island Oyster Farm and then finally tea at Stonemill Matcha in San Francisco (dreamy interiors!).
Thanks Cecelia
x