Halifax tea shop prepares to open doors, offering literature-inspired drinks
Wanda White might not have access to a time machine, but she still tries to transport her customers to unique eras – be they historic or fictional – with an unlikely source: tea.
It starts with the research. White, who studied history and costumes at Dalhousie University, is no stranger to sifting through documents and information. One of her more popular offerings is a green tea that is a recreation of Thomas Jefferson's famous blend.
'He kept good accounting of his receipts so I could see what he purchased,' White said.
Once White figures out the elements she needs for a tea, she assembles it and begins selling it. She has recreated the original Earl Grey of the 1830s and the Darjeeling tea of the Victorian era.
'I love learning and sharing that with other people,' she said. 'Not just offering tea, offering history and connection.'
Beyond historic teas, White enjoys creating blends based on literature and pop culture, crafting drinks inspired by Anne of Green Gables, Star Trek, Pokémon and more.
White, who runs the Teapothecary, has sold her products online for years, but this month she plans to open a physical store on Agricola Street in Halifax.
'It's designed to create an experience and build community,' White said. 'Focus on local arts and crafts from underserved communities like Black and Indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
'It's more than just a little tearoom. I hope as we expand we'll offer an artist in residency program.'
White, who immigrated to Canada nearly 20 years ago, said the idea of making tea 'fell into my lap.' She was working an event at the Fortress of Louisbourg when she learned about the Midnight ship, a vessel that would smuggle tea and other goods into the town.
'Wouldn't it be great if we had tea for it?' White said. 'It went amazing. People were so excited to try authentic tea.
'It exploded from there.'
White's online success with the tea business encouraged her to get a brick-and-mortar shop, but major setbacks delayed that goal.
In 2021, she said she found a building in New Glasgow and bought it in 2022. They started renovating the place when Hurricane Fiona heavily damaged it.
They repaired the roof and were making other renovations when a fire broke out at a nearby shed and spread to the building in January 2024.
'We lost everything because we were living there as well,' White said.
White paused the business following the fire and restarted it last November, eventually finding the new store on Agricola Street.
White hopes to officially open her doors by the end of July, ushering in a new kind of tea shop for the city.
'There's a real market for this kind of tea,' she said.
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