It's a World Par-Tea ...

In the last 30 years, tea has bowed to coffee as Australia's favoured hot beverage*. With the vast array of varied exotic types of coffee on the market, there are many people who drink coffee only - and who can't remember their last cup of tea. However, we recently met a woman who's changing all that. Not through aggressive marketing campaigns, but by the seductive effect of wonderful, delicious, exotic boutique teas, blended from ingredients from all around the world. CURTIS ANTHONY talks to Kerrie McMahon, director of the aptly-named World Par-Tea ...

With her three kids starting to leave their nest, Blue Mountains mum Kerrie McMahon was ready for a new adventure. A sea-change was in order, so she moved the family up to picturesque Port Macquarie. However this was no prelude to retirement - instead she decided to throw her life into a boutique tea business. And when the tea ranges are as exotic and international as Kerrie's business, World Par-Tea, has sourced, then a subject as demure and reflective as tea can be a surprise packet. Kerrie was recently invited to showcase her products at no other place than New South Wales Parliament House as part of the NSW Regional Food & Beverage series of showcases, and that's where we caught up with her to discuss the thrills - and spills - of a life in tea.

What inspired you to do tea as a business?

The truth? I was bored actually. That's not good for me to admit that is it? (laughs) ... I had a sea-change and went to live in Port Macquarie ....

And what was the tea scene like in Port Macquarie?

Basically nil ... Most people were coffee drinkers - tea is becoming more in vogue now. The people who are getting inspired by the range of teas we have are food connoisseurs, elderly people, even children, teetotallers (laughs) ...

Are there good cafes in Port Macquarie that you can recommend for people visiting the town?

There are heaps of fantastic cafes! Beantree & the Healthy Way both in the main street, Hortons Street. Or Crema which is on the corner of Hortons and Clarence Streets.The Healthy Way has a lot of organic food, including our teas.

How many of your teas will they find there, and which ones?

Most of the range - we have 85 different types - and they've got about 45 of them in there.

I might have a cup of tea, I think I'll go for the Gardener's Choice if that's alright.

Kerrie pours the Gardener's Choice, a pleasing blend of premium Japanese green tea, rose buds, lemon myrtle and marigold flowers, ideal for sipping in the garden. A pure, cleansing taste, freshens the palate but with a fully bloomed botanical zest.

What sort of teas have you brought to the NSW parliament showcase today?

Whites, oolongs, green teas, herbal infusions, organic teas, healthy varieties ....

And you've also got tea accessories?

Ceramic teapots, hand-blown glass tea pots, double layer glass cups, tea infusers, tea plungers & empty tea bags for filling with our famous loose leaf teas (laughs) ...

What teas have you got out here on tasting?

We have everything on display today - chocolate chai, a really nice black tea with natural cinnamons, cardamoms, cloves .... it's lovely ... then we have a berry infusion, berry mixture also great as a iced tea.

To someone who is a tea novice, how can they differentiate your teas from other tea on the market?

We don't have any additives to them, they're completely natural, and most of them are organic. Also we source & blend to individual requirements.

Seems to me you're the "world music of teas"! What are your most recent products?

A new tea that we have is our Pina Colada Tea - it's a fruit infusion that tastes fantastic either as a hot or iced tea - it's a very tropically-flavoured blend .... great for children and adults alike.

And we also have Lemon & Ginger Energiser, Mexican Mango Chilli, Australian High Tea Blend, Mixed Tea blossoms, Japanese Matcha, Blackcurrant Tea, Vanilla Tea, and Raspberry & Lime.

Where did you think of as far as coming up with the blend?

It wasn't so much what inspired me as who inspired me. It was a lady who approached me - she'd seen similar teas elsewhere but couldn't get hold of them and she wanted something natural for children especially something for children with ADHD and so she asked me if I would blend other teas.

What are some of your most successful products?

Certainly the organic peppermint tea, and organic raspberry leaf tea ...
also our Bedtime Blooms .... it's lovely especially for relaxing - made from whole Chamomile flowers, lavender and red rosebuds. In fact you can put it in your spa bath, under your pillow, in your foot spa ...

Sounds like you can give your feet a cup of tea ... What's a good tea for perking you up, a tea version of a cup of coffee?

i reckon the berry bonanza, it's high in antioxidants all the berry infusions, its a very lovely one I hope you agree ...

Kerrie expertly puts this tea into a teabag and soon it's soaked in piping hot water as its flavours ooze out across the cup ... it's a naturally sweet berry infusion with strawberries, rhubarb, apple, elderberries, beetroot, hibiscus, blackberries and red currants blended together to create a deep red infusion with a strong fruity flavour. This infusion can be enjoyed hot or iced and can also be used to make jellies.

While I was drinking this tea, well-known Australian food writer Lyndey Milan came up and interviewed Kerrie - definitely she seemed perked by Kerrie mentioning the organic tea blends in her range, and concluded her interview by saying:

"So here (at this showcase) you're meeting the people who produce the products, they know exactly what's in them - you made it so you know exactly what's in it."

The best way to look over World Par-Tea's inspiring range of white teas, black teas, green teas, herbal infusions and exotic blends is by checking out their website by clicking here. Also here's a cool article about the Health Benefits of Tea.

*Coffee consumption per capita has doubled over the last 30 years in Australia, from 1.2 to 2.4kg per capita in 1998/99; while tea consumption has declined from 1.2kg to 0.9kg per capita, a decrease of 60% over the same period. - Source: BIS Schrapnel, Coffee in Australia 2006-2008; www.vittoriacoffee.com and Australian Bureau of Statistics 2000.

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