Heather Peter is the Owner and Operator of Tea Amo, a tea mobile shop business. Tea Amo is aiming to open this Spring in Hamilton and the GTA. Think of a food truck, but strictly tea and tea treats! Currently, Heather has a Indiegogo Campaign to raise funds to help Tea Amo with some large trailer purchases, plus to help towards licensing, packaging, preparation/serving
materials, and the raw ingredients to start crafting their teas. You can find out more about the campaign and donate here. Every little bit will help move things along!
In addition, I had a lovely opportunity to ask Heather a few questions about Tea Amo and her love for tea. Continue reading to learn more about the person behind the mobile tea shop to come!
I find Tea Amo, a mobile tea shop, to be such an interesting concept! I especially love the fact that I do not think there are other tea mobile shops around (correct me if I’m wrong!) How and when did you come up with the idea for Tea Amo?
I think Tea Amo originally came from a need to work with people (my favourite job of all time was a barista!) and a passion for entrepreneurship and business. With my huge love of tea it made sense to go into something involving the lovely beverage! Originally, I was thinking a cafe of some sort, but since the start-up costs are so high and it’s been done before, I tried to come up with a concept that was brand new to Hamilton! There hadn’t been much in the way of “tea culture” in Hamilton and I wanted to help bring my love of tea to the people and build the tea culture. What better way than with something mobile? Plus I’m totally a food truck creeper so it made sense that I would move towards something mobile. I started researching trucks for sale and happened to come across the lovely 1976 Scotty Serro trailer – now nicknamed Miss Marple – which I ended up purchasing! (As a side note: In my research I also found one other tea trailer in South Africa called Lady Bonin’s Tea Parlour. A bit far to visit from Hamilton 😉 , but their caravan is really adorable! http://www.ladybonin.com/)
I think Tea Amo originally came from a need to work with people (my favourite job of all time was a barista!) and a passion for entrepreneurship and business. With my huge love of tea it made sense to go into something involving the lovely beverage! Originally, I was thinking a cafe of some sort, but since the start-up costs are so high and it’s been done before, I tried to come up with a concept that was brand new to Hamilton! There hadn’t been much in the way of “tea culture” in Hamilton and I wanted to help bring my love of tea to the people and build the tea culture. What better way than with something mobile? Plus I’m totally a food truck creeper so it made sense that I would move towards something mobile. I started researching trucks for sale and happened to come across the lovely 1976 Scotty Serro trailer – now nicknamed Miss Marple – which I ended up purchasing! (As a side note: In my research I also found one other tea trailer in South Africa called Lady Bonin’s Tea Parlour. A bit far to visit from Hamilton 😉 , but their caravan is really adorable! http://www.ladybonin.com/)
When did you first find your love for tea and do you have a favourite type of tea?
Tea has always been a part of my life and one of my major passions! I come from a huge Irish family and tea time has always been the time for everyone to chit-chat and bond. After getting out of Graphic Design school, I was lucky to get a position at a leading direct sales company specializing in loose leaf tea. That furthered my love for tea even more and made me realize how much better loose leaf tea is than your basic bagged tea. After that, I had a position at a local tea shop where I learned all about different blends and serving teas different ways! All these jobs really helped further my love of tea more – if that’s even possible! 🙂 This past Fall I also started going to night classes to become a Certified Tea Sommelier. I’m still working towards my certificate, but the experience so far has been fantastic!
My favourite type of tea is probably flavoured Toffee Rooibos or a basic black, like an Assam, with milk. Can’t go wrong with that! I also love Earl Grey (London Fog) Lattes…yum!
Tea has always been a part of my life and one of my major passions! I come from a huge Irish family and tea time has always been the time for everyone to chit-chat and bond. After getting out of Graphic Design school, I was lucky to get a position at a leading direct sales company specializing in loose leaf tea. That furthered my love for tea even more and made me realize how much better loose leaf tea is than your basic bagged tea. After that, I had a position at a local tea shop where I learned all about different blends and serving teas different ways! All these jobs really helped further my love of tea more – if that’s even possible! 🙂 This past Fall I also started going to night classes to become a Certified Tea Sommelier. I’m still working towards my certificate, but the experience so far has been fantastic!
My favourite type of tea is probably flavoured Toffee Rooibos or a basic black, like an Assam, with milk. Can’t go wrong with that! I also love Earl Grey (London Fog) Lattes…yum!
What has been your favourite part throughout the entire Tea Amo set up process? (ie. renovating the trailer, creating custom tea blends, branding…etc)
That’s a hard one! Honestly, the entire thing has been totally amazing. It just blows my mind to think of how far I’ve come and what I have to look forward to in the future! It’s so cool to be able to move towards something I’m completely passionate about and just hearing all the positive comments and support from local folks and tea lovers has been absolutely wonderful.
That’s a hard one! Honestly, the entire thing has been totally amazing. It just blows my mind to think of how far I’ve come and what I have to look forward to in the future! It’s so cool to be able to move towards something I’m completely passionate about and just hearing all the positive comments and support from local folks and tea lovers has been absolutely wonderful.
Put yourself in the consumers’ shoes. How do you want them to think of and see Tea Amo?
I want folks to primarily see Tea Amo as a modern travelling tea room/tea bar, but also, a promoter of everything “tea culture”. Not only will we provide high-quality loose leaf tea drinks and the afternoon tea experience (yummy, fresh baked goods will be available!) at the trailer, we’ll have handcrafted packaged teas on our website and I am also planning for tea-inspired art prints! Who knows, there may even be more tea-inspired products in future as well!
I want folks to primarily see Tea Amo as a modern travelling tea room/tea bar, but also, a promoter of everything “tea culture”. Not only will we provide high-quality loose leaf tea drinks and the afternoon tea experience (yummy, fresh baked goods will be available!) at the trailer, we’ll have handcrafted packaged teas on our website and I am also planning for tea-inspired art prints! Who knows, there may even be more tea-inspired products in future as well!
Any additional words you have to say:
I really appreciate all the support everyone has given so far and I hope to meet all the tea-loving readers in the near future! 🙂 Thank you!!
I really appreciate all the support everyone has given so far and I hope to meet all the tea-loving readers in the near future! 🙂 Thank you!!
Thank you so much for the feature Lu Ann! You're the best!
What a really awesome idea!!!!! I wish her amazing success! I would love to do this in Edmonton lol