In Search of a Good Cup of Herbal Tea

In 2005 I set out to create a range of teas that were not only healthy, but enjoyable to drink.  I was really tired of seeing people add three teaspoons of sugar to their chamomile tea-bag from the supermarket, before bed and wonder why it didn't help them sleep!

As a Naturopath, I fully understand the effects that sugar can have on the body and I also know that the super market-variety herbal teas are often mass-produced and use inferior parts of the plant. It is no wonder that people so often report no effect! I used my herbal medicine knowledge to blend top-quality organic herbs with other natural ingredients, such as fruits, spices and vanilla bean to create five blends, namely-: Energy, Calming, Digest, Immunity and Detox.  So, rather than offering plain chamomile tea, I created Calming that is a blend of chamomile, passionflower, lime flowers and vanilla bean- giving this tea a delicious and smooth vanilla flavour.

I have created the range so that nothing needs to be added for flavour- no sugar, honey, lemon or milk! This means that the teas maintain their health benefits, but also have their own unique and exquisite natural flavours.

When it comes to prescribing natural medicines, the benefits for the patient, I believe, are just as important as the taste. At the Byron Bay Tea Company, we are emphatic about selecting the most beneficial parts of the highest quality herbal plants. By blending them with a range of other natural ingredients we can guarantee a tea-tasting experience that is as tasty as it is healthy.

I believe that the Byron Bay Tea Company herbal teas can either be a very safe, gentle and effective medicine that we can actually enjoy or simply a nice-drinking tea. Responding to consumer demand for on-line gifts, the Byron Bay Tea Company now offers a wider selection of gifts, an exquisite range of hand-made biscotti, and tea accessories to compliment the original tea range. Gifts can be purchased online and posted anywhere in Australia or overseas with your personal message attached. It’s a great alternative to chocolates or flowers, particularly for the health conscious.

It’s been a relatively quick journey from blending herbs for my own use at home and setting up intimate market stalls to receiving the national recognition we enjoy today. I can only hope the rest of the ride continues to be as much fun.

Enjoy your brew!





Sarita Merlo

Founder of Byron Bay Tea Company, Naturopath and Herbalist.