Bay Street Fine Tea Encounter:

Sloane Launches Pop-Up in Financial District

Up 45…down 200, up 100, down…so goes the ticker on the S&P/TSX and Dow Jones Industrial Index….

Since the late 90s when the dot-com bubble burst to recent years' global financial crisis, this has become modern day main street news, you don't even need to dig deep into the financial sections or watch BNN to hear it anymore.

Whew!  Queasy yet?  Stressed out?  Welcome to Bay Street, Canada's Wall Street.  Now imagine what it would be like if you worked in the Financial Industry like I do?! 

That's my day job so I don't need to imagine.  How do I survive and not lose all my hair from the stress?  One of my secrets is ….TEA.  

William E. Gladstone once said: "If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are excited, it will calm you.”

So it is a blessing for us Bay Street types that Sloane Fine Tea Merchants has just launched a pop-up tea salon right in the heart of Toronto's Financial District.  Some readers may remember Hoda and Sloane Fine Tea Merchants from an earlier post.

Hoda founded their brand.  She is also a Tea Sommelier like me, a graduate from GBC and certified by the TAC.  In addition, she's done the U.S. Specialty Tea Institute program and studied perfumery in France.

As the weather gets colder I'm delighted with this new development in my neighbourhood.  You know you're going to get a beautifully blended cup of tea at Sloane.  A total delight for the senses!

The Tea Salon is located in the Commerce Court at King and Bay.  If travelling by TTC, your destination would be King Station, get out of the subway and head into the famed underground PATH and follow the sign for Commerce Court.

Two doors down from the Second Cup and among the "Heritage Row" of Commerce Court,

There you will find the elegant Sloane Fine Tea Merchants' Pop-Up

very pretty!  (wait till you see the packaging...)

A touch of luxury - Sloane's linen-embossed gift boxes

Like tiny bottles of French perfume, the tea samples are ready to be experienced

Sweet Violettas and Rococo Roses - sugared petal delights

  I spy something perfect for the chocoholic on my Holiday list...

For chocolate lovers, Sloane Tea Company collaborated with artisan chocolatier Laura Slack of Laura Slack Chocolate to create their special Amethyst collection of hand painted tea infused truffles.  I sampled them at a Tea and Chocolate tasting at the recent Canada Sweet Baking Show.  They were yummy!  I especially enjoyed the one infused with Oolong Crème.

The truffles are hand-made and were not ready for their close-up when I arrived on opening day.  I see another visit in the near future...

Hoda Paripoush

Sloane will be in Commerce Court for the next three months until the end February 2013.  They will be serving tea samples.  Starting next week, they will also have teas to go.

Holiday shopping season has just started, what perfect timing!  Head down to Sloane's and sample some of their many delicious teas.  Pick up a China Tea Treasury sampler or a caddie or two of teas for the tea lovers on your list.

Which tea will be your new favourite?  Will it be the signature Heavenly Cream?  The Jasmine Snow Dragon?  (two of my favourites)   Or perhaps the Cocoa Chai Chai?

Feel free to post a comment and share your delightful new find with us!