A Good Cup Of Tea

In our country, chai is an anytime favourite. You don’t need an excuse to have tea. Guests coming over? Serve them tea. Having a family get-together? Make some tea. Going on a date? Book a table at an expensive tea place. 

From Masala Chai to Bubble Tea, the humble drink has come of age. The Kettlery, an experiential tea brand, was launched with a vision to create a tea lifestyle, with the focus on offering the finest quality tea blend, tea accessories and, most importantly, a one-of-a-kind experience through a combination of food and beverage and retail boutique formats. 

The brand known for innovative products and services was founded by the vibrant young couple, Sandeep Kotecha and Praneta Mehta. Talking to Mehta, we find out how they built an entire tea estate and what they have to offer. 

Mehta warmly says that the brand was launched by her husband Sandeep and was built on the passion for high-quality tea. “We gave the country the first concept tea bar that offers our customers an exclusive, hand-picked selection of premium loose-leaf teas, tisanes (herbal teas), tea-infused beverages, tea brewing accessories and special food to elevate the tea drinking experience in a gourmet affair with a warm pot,” says Mehta who heads the marketing front for the brand. 

She explains that her husband used to work for Teavana that was acquired by Starbucks in the USA. It was his first step in the speciality tea retail industry in the Western markets. “Although he wasn’t in  food and beverage services at that time, it got him interested in the exotic world of full-leaf teas. Little did we know that we would launch one-of-a-kind product in the near future,” adds Mehta. 

He developed an appreciation for the aromatic and flavourful liquor that premium loose leaf teas can produce when brewed using the right techniques or blended with the right ingredients. “He travelled across the world where he learnt the art of choosing and sourcing loose leaf teas from India, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, to name a few,” says Mehta. These endless possibilities of creating exotic blends inspired by global flavours excited him and soon the couple launched their first tea bar in Ahmedabad, which is also their hometown.  

Tea is an important beverage in India. It almost enjoys a cult status at social gatherings. “Added to this, tea obviously has a lot of health benefits and in recent times even urban millennials have started incorporating tea into their fitness regimes,” says Mehta. Loose-leaf teas are rich in antioxidants, they improve cardiovascular health, boost immunity and have many other benefits. 

Herbal infusions or tisanes have grown popular over the last decades due to their caffeine-free content and many other additional benefits. Mehta points out that the six basic types of tea are white, green, black, yellow, oolong and Pu-erh , which all have distinctive features, but picking a favourite depends on how you enjoy the body of the tea.
 
The luxury tea segment is fancied not only by the elite mature crowd but also by the younger crowd who often opt for fancy tea places. Explaining the concept of luxury teas, Mehta says that they are blended with ingredients and flavours that are rare and delicious. “At the Kettlery, we specialise in the curation of luxury blends that are delicious and complex,” says Mehta. A few of the luxury teas from their collection are called Secrets of the East, Thandai Oolong, Sindbad Baklava, Pineapple Sparkling Wine and Sparkling Oolong. The loose leaf teas and tisanes are sourced from across the world because of which the teas embody exotic flavour profiles.
 
In India, people mostly consume tea dust because it is more affordable and easy to use. “Tea dust and ‘fannings’, leftovers from the processing of loose leaf teas, may add a lot of colour to your cup, but the flavour and aroma is far inferior to that found in a cup of well-brewed loose leaf tea,” says Mehta adding that they are working hard on introducing Indians to this distinctive flavour by offering not just the leaves but also a range of tea-making equipment and accessories at their tea bar. 

Ask Mehta what makes a good cup of tea and she says, “A clear mind, a spoonful of love, a dash of me-time and good tea leaves, is the best recipe for a good cup of tea,” says Mehta. 
 
The Kettlery has outlets in Ahmedabad and Mumbai and will soon open in Bengaluru, Hyderabad Chennai and other cities.