DAVIDsTEA CEO Sarah Segal’s Favourite Teas (Win!)

Pour a cup of tea and settle in for a steamy success story. Over the last couple of years, DAVIDsTEA has pivoted its business strategy and is growing through its dedicated ecom, DAVIDsTEA storefronts and partnerships with grocery retailers. This digital and retail transformation has been spearheaded by the brand’s CEO and chief brand officer, Sarah Segal, who has been at DAVIDsTEA since 2013. In addition to being a fearless, tenacious woman in business, she is also a mother who is supremely passionate about wellness and, of course, the integral role tea plays as part of a wellness routine. We chatted with Sarah to learn more! —Vita Daily

When and why was DAVIDsTEA launched? What niche does the brand aim to fill?

DAVIDsTEA first opened its doors 15 years ago in Toronto with a single location on Queen Street. The brand was launched to help transform tea, a beverage often seen as old-fashioned, into a fun, accessible and engaging experience—both for current tea drinkers and for those who had never tried it! Since then, our goal has been to consistently push the boundaries of what tea can be, to never settle, and to always deliver on our passion for blending. We continue to bring people together through tea—our brand is built stronger every day with our customers and our communi-teas in mind. This will never change and will only grow the positive power of tea!

How has DAVIDsTEA pivoted its business strategy in the last few years?

The last few years have had unprecedented impacts on the retail landscape. Shifting our business to be digitally led and shrinking our brick & mortar footprint to 18 flagship locations in Canada has made us rethink how we sample our tea, how we engage with customers, and how we become a part of the daily routine of customers across North America. We have a dedicated team of Virtual Tea Guides to provide customer support online, we offer more interactive content like recipes and how-to videos, plus we include samples of tea in all e-commerce orders to allow that product sampling experience to continue. We are consistently evolving and looking at ourselves critically to see how we can be flexible to meet today’s unique retail needs and better our brand!

What products/services are currently offered, and what makes them unique?

We’re proud to offer more than 150 tea blends! Our collection ranges from Organic Nepal Black tea (exclusively from a small family-owned tea garden, Jun Chiyabari, to whom we give back 1% of proceeds to support the Nepal Clean Water Project) to an herbal tea called Organic Cold 911 that has been around since almost day one and is consistently a top seller, helping everyone (me included) survive the fall & winter cold season. And everything in between! Beyond tea, we offer a variety of curated tea accessories including teapots, mugs, and travel vessels to make your tea making experience easy and beautiful! And one of my favourite offerings is our kits—we have everything from tea samplers that provide a selection of loose leaf teas to try to sachet tea wheels for people who prefer to steep with sachets. All our kits are beautifully designed so that not only do their contents deliver flavour and benefits, but they also are so nice to gift or display. We truly have the best team in the industry, and we are consistently innovating and pushing the boundaries of what tea can be!

In your opinion (and your personal experience), how does tea play an integral role as part of a wellness routine?

Tea, for me, is a great party hack when I don’t feel like drinking alcohol. I love making a sparkling mocktail, especially because it looks like a cocktail and no one knows the difference! I especially loved this when I was pregnant, and it’s the best way to still feel great at the end of the night. Plus, it’s an inclusive option when I am hosting, for those who want a great drink, with or without alcohol. My go-to tea for this is definitely our Gin & Tonic! I also love my nightly routine with my husband. Once the kids are sleeping, we enjoy usually some Organic Throat Rescue or a sleepy tea like Organic Mother’s Little Helper. This is our time to rest, talk or watch a movie and we feel like it is a critical part of not getting sick! I also have to mention that I love drinking black tea or matcha during the day for a caffeinated energy boost. I’m obviously biased, but I have replaced most coffee in my life with tea because the caffeine in tea actually hits me differently and more effectively: as a sustained release rather than a spike and crash. Running a tea company helps me keep my options open, because I choose a different tea almost every day J

Any tips for best enjoying our tea, from a self-care/wellness perspective?

In my opinion, a major advantage of tea is the sheer variety. I often use the analogy of you wouldn’t want to eat the same thing for breakfast every day, so why would you drink the exact same beverage every morning?! Change it up depending on what you are in the mood for—tea allows you that flexibility. I have about six teas as my main staples that I switch up day to day, week to week. Tea is also a highly functional beverage, other than just offering energy. Pu’erh teas or those with ginger can help soothe an upset tummy, valerian is an incredible ingredient for aiding in sleep, and the L-theanine found in all tea leaves is said to promote relaxation and improve focus. With tea on hand, you have your own natural pharmacy for wellness!

What’s coming up for holiday from DAVIDsTEA?

So much! To start, we have two beautiful advent calendars this year, including our 24 Trips with Tea: every tea inside is Certified Organic and vegan, and allows the customer to travel the world with their daily cup of tea. Our festive blends are back and stronger than ever for the holiday season including our fan favourites like Candy Cane Crush, a creamy, minty black tea with festive snowflake sprinkles. All-new this year is Jack Frosted Mocha, a pu’erh blend that our stores can’t keep on the shelves, and Latke Love, our first-ever Hannukah tea: a caffeine-free rooibos with apple, cinnamon and real potato! When it comes to matcha, there’s our Organic Pumpkin Pie Matcha—it is so decadent and delicious and gives you that energy boost that everyone needs this time of year. There truly is something for everyone on your list, whether they are new to tea or an established tea lover already!

What’s your favourite holiday tea blend?

That is a tough question; it’s as if you are asking me who my favourite child is! Every tea I drink fills a different need and stirs up unique feelings… I could never pick just one. This holiday season I have a top 3! First up is Gin & Tonic: whether you are looking for a great cocktail mixer or going alcohol free, this herbaceous, low caffeine blend delivers on its name… and then some. Then we have Sleigh Ride; this vegan herbal tea with big pieces of cinnamon sticks and popcorn (yes, popcorn!) is the holidays in a cup, evoking the festiveness of the season and all the coziness you could need. And last, but certainly not least, is Hot Chocolate. This rich, Fair Trade pu’erh tea is the perfect alternative to your classic cup of cocoa, and I always make sure to stock up on this blend as early as September because we just can’t seem to keep it in stock!

davidstea.com

Win! Sarah Segal’s Favourite Products From DAVIDsTEA!

Congrats Lisandre L. of Montreal, QC, who will receive a DavidsTEA prize pack, including Sarah’s favourite products:

• Sugar n’ Spice 8 Tea Sampler, $29
• 24 Trips with Tea Advent Calendar, $55
• Plum Purple Double Walled Glass Nordic Mug, $26
• Perfect Spoon, $9

Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.