Churchill's Fine Teas
Angela Qu, Owner of Churchill’s Fine Teas
For years, Churchill’s Fine Teas has been Findlay Market’s reliable source of high quality loose leaf teas and tea accessories, and a year ago the business underwent a change of ownership, which launched the business in a new direction, connecting customers to the very root of tea culture.
Angela Qu and her husband, David, purchased the business last November from founder Kathleen Kern, who was adamant that she wanted a buyer who had not only vast knowledge of tea culture, but also a personal connection to the art of tea. Having been born and raised in Taiwan, an important player in the world’s tea trade, Angela Qu was more than qualified. Though this was her first business venture, Angela’s connection to tea is soul-deep. She knew that she could learn the ropes of business ownership from her husband, a seasoned businessman, but no one needed to teach her a thing about tea. She’s been steeped in the rich cultural tradition of Taiwanese tea ceremonies all her life.
“People know Taiwan because of the tea,” Angela says. In the late 1800s, Taiwan was one of the world’s biggest tea exporters, moving over 16 million pounds of tea annually. Taiwan’s history of tea export dated back to the 18th century. In the 1950 era when Taiwanese Tea was world renowned, it is said Taiwanese teas are more precious than gold. “You drink it in the morning. You drink it in the evening, after dinner, and that’s the family tea service,” she says. “This is where traditional wisdoms are passed down to the next generation.”
Taiwanese tea ceremonies are served in a traditional Kung Fu tea set, which comes with a teapot and 6-8 small handleless mugs. It encourages its participants to come back for a second and a third cup as the conversation evolves and changes. “The host will brew the tea, and the cups are very small, so you have this frequent receiving where people are constantly engaged and they keep their focus on each other,” Angela says. “Dinner will be served at 7 PM, but the conversation can go on until 10 PM because the tea can be received and received and received.”
Once she left home and started traveling, she learned about other cultures’ tea rituals. Being one of the most common beverages in the world, tea is an important social pillar in many countries, and the ceremonies vary wildly.
“The British tea set is very different from the Kung Fu tea set. It was fascinating to see other cultures and find that even though the expression is different, it’s the same thing. It’s about slowing down and being intentional about what you’re putting in your body. But then it’s also about relationships, community, and bringing people together,” she says.
Angela is bringing this side of tea culture to Churchill’s Fine Teas. Historically, the brand has bent toward British tea culture, and Angela has been working to expand the scope of tea and tea cultures in her shop since taking over ownership. “We are bringing in more tea, not just British, but very international varieties, and making tea less intimidating for young people,” Angela says.
Changing the business starts on the inside. From the jump, Angela has engaged her staff on what sorts of things they’d like to see changed. They made suggestions to create more efficient systems and expand offerings to reach a younger audience, and Angela took it upon herself to see those changes through.
“We just launched iced tea lattes and specialty drinks this summer. That’s something the staff has been wanting to see. They want to see innovations. They want to see changes. They want to see we are attracting new people with new strategies,” she says.
Beyond expanding their retail offerings, Angela has begun connecting with local non-profits whose missions to bridge cultures through education align with her passion to share her love for tea, and she’s been hosting educational tea events that benefit the partner organizations. She’s also committed to deepening her relationship with her team members, who are all passionate about sharing the magic of tea with Churchill’s guests.
Earlier this month, Angela and her husband threw a staff appreciation dinner, where they cooked a homemade dinner to share with her employees and take a moment to connect and appreciate everything they’ve built together ahead of the busy holiday season. “I know this from the bottom of my heart: the community starts with my team. If I want to build a community through Churchill’s, I need to build community through my team first.”
Published November 2024