Our Tea Story

Its' happened to all of us. And usually in the oddest of places and under the strangest of circumstances. An aroma comes wafting through the air, and for a moment, instantly transports you to a different place and time. A place and time reminiscent of the fondest of memories.
 

Hello, my name is Peter Barker. Together with my wife Joyce, we founded Distinctly Tea in 2003 with a simple goal: to introduce Canadians to exceptional loose leaf tea and the joy that comes with every cup.

So how did an engineer from Canada, managing an automotive systems and components plant with worldwide technological responsibility in Poland, where kielbasa is king, get hooked on tea? The exact same way!

Arriving at work one day, a magnificent aroma aroused my senses. I had to know what it was! Sitting at her desk, our timekeeper was enjoying a cup of tea. As I approached, I noticed rose petals and green tea leaves floating on the surface. She made me a cup and soon after, she and two co-workers took me to a tea shop slightly bigger than a breadbox in Bielsko-Biała. Although the proprietor didn't speak English and I didn't speak Polish, through a series of finger pointing, grunts, facial expressions and other gyrations, over time I was able to try as many different teas as she was willing to brew.

The effects that her various teas had on me were indescribable. I was smitten! I was determined to make the switch from automotive engineer to tea connoisseur and procurer.

See the connection? Neither do I!

I decided to take early retirement to pursue my dream... not to seek fame and fortune, and certainly not to change the world, but simply to bring a little happiness and health into people's lives. After spending almost three years preparing a marketing plan (there's nothing quite like curling up at night with a hot cup of tea while pouring over a marketing plan); making innumerable brewing errors causing my tea to taste like cheap shoe leather; traipsing through the outlying provinces of China being stared at because you happen to be a visitor; and trying to ingest really funky food while being gracious to your hosts... we opened our first tea shop in Waterloo in September 2003, followed by a second shop in Stratford in May 2004.

Those early years gave us the opportunity to introduce thousands of people to the wonderful world of loose leaf tea, and they helped build the foundation for the company we are today.

 

Our Story Continues

More than two decades later, our mission remains exactly the same: to help people discover exceptional tea.

Today, Distinctly Tea Inc. operates from our Stratford, Ontario warehouse and online fulfilment centre, where we carefully source, blend and ship one of North America's largest selections of premium loose leaf teas, herbs, matcha and tea accessories.

While our retail stores have become part of our history, our passion for exceptional tea has never changed. We continue to serve tea lovers, cafés, retailers and specialty businesses across Canada and the United States with the same commitment to freshness, quality and personal service that inspired us back in 2003.

Whether you're discovering loose leaf tea for the very first time or have been enjoying it for years, we're honoured to be part of your tea journey.

If you ever need help selecting the perfect tea, we're only a phone call or email away.

Have a cup of our tea. We think you'll love it.