About Us
Even before you take a sip, a cup of tea can transport you.
Serving the Specialty Tea Market Since 2007
Totem Tea is located in the heart of Saint-Henri, a stone’s throw from the Atwater Public Market and the Lachine Canal. Founded in 2007 as an online business, it grew quickly in the first few years, and when the opportunity came to expand the studio and open a retail location in Montreal specializing in organic teas, the collection of expertly crafted estate teas and custom blends quickly found a dedicated local following too. The current location houses not only the full collection of teas available, but also teaware, beauty products, gourmet items and other special finds.
Our Promise to You
The ritual of making a pot or cup of tea…
Founder Julie Pedersen has a passion for tea that she loves to share with her customers. “I believe that fine quality tea should be an everyday indulgence, as well as being accessible to everyone”, she says. She takes an approach that helps educate people on the history of tea and of its’ benefits. “Even before you take a sip, a cup of tea can transport you. It can be soothing, nostalgic, and healing. The ritual of making a pot or cup of tea can be very centering, helping to refocus and relax at the same time”.
100% Organic
Certified organic by Eco-Cert Canada
Nostalgia
Sourcing harder to find teas and blends
High Quality
An alternative to mass-produced, processed food
Carefully Selected
Carefully selected, single-origin estate teas from the finest organic tea gardens
Only The Best Quality of Tea
With this in mind, she selects her organic teas, spices and botanicals with the hope of making blends that will be enjoyed by all. She loves to source harder to find teas for her clients, who are always delighted to be able to revisit a memory of tea from their childhood or from traveling to distant countries. Nostalgia does play an important part in people searching out that special blend they used to drink, she concedes. “I suppose it’s a combination of memory, history, and perhaps rediscovering their own past that has such a pull to find that special tea”.
Just as the slow food movement continues to offer an alternative to mass-produced, processed food, Totem offers an antidote to artificially flavoured, uninspiring tea blends that are awash in chemicals. Carefully selected, single-origin estate teas are from the finest organic tea gardens in China, Japan, India, Nepal, South Africa, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Malawi, and are exclusively full leaf, entirely organic, and sourced from high elevation gardens. Blends are produced in-house and sometimes even custom-blended on client’s request. Totem teas are certified organic by Eco-Cert Canada. At any given point there are sixty to seventy different teas, tisanes, functional teas and botanicals on offer. Come to visit us and discover!
Hello.
Part designer, part foodie, part packaging addict, I make these kits based on my love for global cuisine.
I have a fascination for food, I love to cook and eat and can host a pretty outrageous dinner party. I have a too-large cookbook collection.
Julie Pedersen
Some info on my spices: I buy all my spices from carefully sourced distributors in Montreal. I buy organic and fair trade spices whenever possible. All of my spices are the highest quality and super fresh because I buy them in small quantities.
I make all my blends and rubs in a certified kitchen.
Some of my blends may have come into contact with tree nuts or peanuts.
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Featured in:
Real Simple magazine, March 2011, page 132-36
www.trendhunter.com/trends/purpose-design
sfgirlbybay blog
modern design blog
http://www.moderndesignblog.com/2009/02/spice-things-up-in-kitchen.html
ApartmentTherapy
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/organizing/small-storage-spice-racks-and-organizational-systems-067908
Natural Health magazine, Oct. 2008, page 28
http://casasugar.com/1785264
http://blog.kimvallee.com/archive/2008/06/04/magnetic-chalkboard-coasters-and-travel-spice-kits-by-purpose-design.aspx
http://blackwhitebliss.blogspot.com/2008/06/purpose-design-blackboard-magnetic.html
http://rarebirdfinds.typepad.com/rare_bird_finds/2008/07/blackboard-magn.html
http://www.thepeachtreebrooklyn.com/2008/06/featured-artist-of-week-purposedesign.html
http://mightygoods.com/archives/2007/04/spicelab
http://yellowfishblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/sunday-shopping-alert-purposedesign.html
http://modish.typepad.com
www.wickedlychic.com
http://www.smidge.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=20:kitchen&id=138:purpose-design&Itemid=50
http://sugarcubeDesign.blogspot.com
http://dashery.blogspot.com
http://visitatwhitsend.blogspot.com
http://decorazzi.hipdns.com
http://domestichappenings.blogspot.com
http://flurrspritesnook.blogspot.com
Canadian House & Home magazine
and MANY MORE!
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Retail enquiries are welcome. shop.purpose.design [!at] gmail.com
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Tea and Beyond
The current location houses not only the full collection of teas available, but also teaware, beauty products, gourmet items and other special finds.
Visit Us
3467 rue Notre-Dame O
Montreal, Quebec
H4C 1P3
Call Us
514 . 507 . 7525