Stories: Merry Moments, a wee nugget of joy

When we first started our tea company – Tea with Intention: Intend2RaeD8 in 2015 we had no idea the road that tea would take us on. With 14 specialized blends in the shop, and the power of intention infused into our teas it is a niche market that is reaching healers, workshop presenters, and the general public. You can learn more about these teas at intend-tea.square.site.

With the Cape Breton Tea Company we wanted to bring some of the sights and sounds of our island through tea blends. Our intention has been to inspire people to enjoy a great cup of tea with herbs, flower petals, and fruit that comes from the ocean, the mountains, and the fields of Cape Breton Island. As well, we wanted to savour the joy of black tea with new ways to enjoy the tea, and new traditions to be created.

A new tea blend we are releasing in January 2023 is a special blend called Merry Moments. Using the incredible inspiration of juicy apples found throughout the island in the fall, along with the warmth of cinnamon, we included a dash of blackberry leaves and Safflower petals. The black tea is picked at peak periods in Sri Lanka in Nuwara Ellya, Dimbula, and Uva. To bring a softness to the blend we have combined it with the citrus inspiration of Blood Orange Rooibos. This cup of warmth and sweetness can be enjoyed hot or cold and can be combined with red wine and cinnamon sticks to create a distinct version of a “mulled” wine. It is a twist on baked apple pie in a black tea blend, that pulls at the heartstrings of faithful orange pekoe tea lovers. (A special shout out to Yvonne and Charlene Waines in West Kelowna for assisting with the taste testing for this cup of Cape Breton love, as well as the label design!)
Speaking of the label design.


You will see a pair of dance shoes on this label. The first Cape Bretoner to pull the string on the hearts of the Greenwell’s was stepdancer extraordinaire, Mary Janet MacDonald from Port Hood/Mabou. First learning of stepdancing through Mary Janet’s dance video, she later was the tour guide for the first visit of Dance Debut Inc.’s dancers with Ceilidh Revue performing troupe to Inverness County. Mary Janet has been an inspiration to the whole group of stepdancers, as well as her international fame as a stepdance instructor, ambassador of the music, and the compassionate host of “Tunes and Wooden Spoons” that has graced the homes of thousands over the length of the pandemic. This blend is in honor of the love and joy that Mary Janet has created for her family, friends, and fans across the years.

To continue our tea and cheese pairings. We have combined this blend with the gentle, buttery goodness of Fleur des Monts, which is often described as having the texture of shortbread. As an after-dinner treat or time with special friends, this combination is a winner for guests. Thank you to Brook Village Grocery for this suggestion from their cheese vault!

We hope you enjoy that we have combined this delicious pair with Kolten MacDonell’s Cape Breton Tea mugs which are hand thrown and offered at the Mabou Farmer’s Market in the summertime. Kolten has many styles and colors to choose from, including mugs with musical notation from Celtic tunes. You can follow Kolten’s work at Cape Breton Mugs on Facebook.

As a side note, we have referred to this tea as a wee nugget. Michelle, and the Greenwell family often found that on their vacation trips to Cape Breton, before becoming permanent residents in 2010, if they let their intuition lead them through the day, there would likely be a nugget of surprise that would appear because of their lack of planning or scheduling. This relaxed, easygoing approach was always rewarded with a joyous event or opportunity. Merry Moments is a tea blend that is a true nugget!

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Originally posted: DECEMBER 29, 2022