Interview - Sarita Merlo - Byron Bay Tea Co

Who better to brew and pour you a cup of tea than someone who takes the whole concept of ‘tea and sympathy’ a few steps further down the benevolent path of wellness. Sarita Merlo, Naturopath and Herbalist has come a long way since picking herbs in her Byron Bay garden and steeping them into a healthful, delicious concoction. Today, she imparts her learned wisdom to the tea-loving masses in the form of beautifully packaged teas and tisanes that consumers are declaring delightful. We chatted with Sarita and learned more about her business and her love of a good cup of tea.

FFW: It seems as though Byron Bay is the centre of the universe when it comes to products that taste good and are healthy for us; is it something in the water there?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY:  I came to Byron Bay years ago for what I thought was going to be a 3 month stint, and I am here 12 years later! So, yes, maybe there is something in the water here.  It definitely captured me all those years ago and I think it is such a creative hotspot where many unique and healthy products are born.

FFW: Sarita, what is your background and how did it lead to you becoming a tea mogul?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: My background is as a Naturopath and Herbalist. I actually shared my love of herbs with my late Nana who would only use natural medicine to treat her ailments. She lived to the healthy age of 94 and passed on much of her knowledge to me. I studied Naturopathy 12 years ago and then moved to Byron Bay. I practice as a Naturopath at Gaia Retreat & Spa and The Sanctuary Byron Bay – a private drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

So, it was primarily the passion for herbal medicine that led me to create a range of teas that were not only healthy but tasted great too. I started experimenting with form and flavour and using other exotic ingredients like vanilla bean, berries and spices to create some unique and delicious flavours. I came up with our signature range of Energy, Calming, Digest, Immunity and Detox all those years ago. Many product lines have been added over the years to cater for all tastes and requirements.

FFW: Did you really start out selling your teas at market stalls? What kind of feedback did you receive from your buyers?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: Yes, markets were our first venture. I actually remember our first market being a ‘sell-out’ at Bangalow and actually picked up one of our best wholesale customers there all those years ago – Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat. We still enjoy doing the markets as it is a great way for us to talk directly to our customers, educate people on the benefits of various teas and have the teas available for sampling so that people can ‘try before they buy’.

FFW: Some of your tea blends are ‘prescribed’ for their wellness benefits; would you ever recommend someone drink a tea that doesn’t appeal to their tastes?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: What I had observed amongst tea drinkers before I started BBTC was that many people were keen to be healthy but couldn't drink single herb teas like Peppermint or Chamomile without adding honey or sugar for flavour. I personally think that if you are using herbs for their medicinal properties in tea form, it is a must that they taste good! Otherwise you are best to have a tablet or capsule. I wanted people to appreciate herbs, not just for their medicinal properties but so that they could enjoy the flavours and the ritual of making a tea.

FFW: How much education is involved in trying to turn consumers on to high grade, quality teas instead of supermarket products? Do you think once consumers try Byron Bay Tea Company tea, they may not be able to turn back?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: Yes, I know that once people have tried the BBTC teas, they know that the quality is high and the flavours are delicious. We use whole-leaf, organic and premium quality herbs that are very fresh, unlike what you often find on the supermarket shelves. The therapeutic benefits of using quality teas are far greater.

FFW: Do you ever despair that people use medications to help them sleep or stimulants such as energy drinks, when they could simply drink a cup of tea that’s been expertly blended to deliver the same results?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: Obviously as a Naturopath I am totally against the use of energy drinks and sleeping tablets as I know that there are some very effective herbal medicines without the detrimental side effects. I have actually had quite a few customers tell me that they were using a couple of glasses of wine a night to help with sleep and that they have traded this in for the Calming tea and it is working wonders!

FFW: Your pyramid tea bags are beautiful and novel; is their main purpose to look pretty and be a bit gimmicky?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: The beauty about the pyramid teabags is that they contain full-leaf, premium quality tea in the convenience of a teabag. Up until now, the conventional style of teabag has contained the poorer quality tea; ‘dust’ and ‘fannings’ which are made with smaller particles or off-cuts of the tea leaf. Another advantage of the BBTC pyramid teabag is that it is made from a biodegradable corn-starch material which has no impact on the environment and no impact on our health, unlike the more commonly known pyramid teabags that are made from nylon.

FFW: What are the three biggest selling products in your range? Are you surprised by any of them?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: English Breakfast – surprise, surprise – this is what most people drink of course! Whilst BBTC is often known for our herbal teas, we offer a range of premium quality teas including English Breakfast, Earl Grey and Chai. We have selected our black teas from Sri Lanka and India and blended them in Australia. They are premium grade, full-leaf teas with lots of golden tips, which contributes to the tea's high quality. Our English Breakfast has a rich and full-bodied flavour – absolutely beautiful!

Then it is Energy, Calming and our delicious Chai, which has been rated recently in the Daily Telegraph in the top 3 picks in Australia.

FFW: Your teas and tisanes have been wholeheartedly embraced by wellness operators such as day spas, retreats and health studios; when you take on a new buyer in the wellness sector, do you educate them about the health properties and how best to serve the teas?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: Yes, we sure do. It's important for our customers to be educated on the health benefits of our tea range. When it comes to serving our teas, it is really simple. We recommend using 1 teaspoon per cup of boiling water and infusing for 5-7 minutes. This is a general rule. When it comes to Green, White or Oolong tea, the temperature of the water must be ‘near-to-boiling’ otherwise it could scorch the tea leaf.

FFW: What kind of foodservice businesses are serving your products?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: Restaurants, cafes, retreats and resorts.

FFW: What are some stand-out features of Byron Bay Tea Company that you like to convey to customers and consumers?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: We are using only natural ingredients; there are no flavourings used. For example, we use real vanilla bean, not the essence.  We use organic herbs wherever possible and in the case that we cannot source certified organic we use ‘wild-crafted’ herbs that are from a natural and unpolluted source. For example, our eucalyptus, while not certified organic, is from a family-run farm in Daylesford, Victoria and is growing naturally. We are Australian-owned with all of our teas blended and packaged in our HACCP approved facility in the Byron Bay hinterland.

FFW: What’s your favourite tea or tisane for different times of day, moods or how your body is feeling?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: My favourite tea is and always has been Digest. I was blending this one for myself before I even started the business, going down to my local health food shop and measuring out the peppermint, chamomile, lemon balm and fennel seeds. I love this one as it has a fresh minty taste and feels really good to drink after food. At the moment I am mixing a bit of Digest and a bit of Black Magic in my teapot, just for something different. The Black Magic has a licorice and peppermint flavour so nice to have a bit of sweetness. Yum!

FFW: What does the future hold for the Byron Bay Tea Company?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: We aim to continue to provide an excellent product and service to our Australian customers and are looking to expand into markets overseas. We just dispatched our first export order last month, bound for Malaysia. There are a couple of orders for Singapore in the pipeline and more recently some interest from the United States.

We also have many ideas of expanding our herbal tea range. I would love to formulate a nursing tea and also create a herbal tea made only from native Australian ingredients. There are some amazing plants that we have in Australia with a wide range of health benefits. So, stay tuned!

FFW: What famous person would you be thrilled to have as a brand ambassador for Byron Bay Tea Company?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: Miranda Kerr who is one of Australia's favourite models and has her own skin care label, Kora Organics. She loves organic and natural products and is actually already a fan of BBTC teas! We have done some co-promotion and I have written on The Kora Organics blog from time to time talking about how to improve the health of the skin, from a Naturopath's perspective.

FFW: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

BYRON BAY TEA COMPANY: While we are a boutique tea supplier, we are still ready and able to supply. We supply many customers across Australia including Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Gaia Resort and Spa, Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat and Gaia Resort & Spa.

Good measures of passion and expertise go into every tea blend at Byron Bay Tea Company and Sarita is a living, breathing example of the healthy glow that goes along with living your dream, and consuming health-giving teas. Sarita welcomes enquiries from potential customers looking to offer delicious, wholesome tea products and also those looking to learn more about the health benefits of her naturopathy-developed teas.