The Martha Stewart Show has posted this video featuring BELLOCQ TEA ATELIER. We had a wonderful time visiting with Martha on her show. It had been several years since we had spoken so this was a great chance to catch-up a bit and to share Bellocq teas. Martha always has something interesting to add to the conversation... who knew, Martha has studied tea!!!
Martha visited with us in the green room before the show started and It was so nice to talk casually with her again. We will never forget this appearance it was so much fun and felt a little bit like a home coming...
We love Martha and her appreciation of craft: in all its forms.
(Bellocq introduced their teas to the lovely Martha Stewart and to all of North America on the Martha Stewart Show on Thursday, February 16th!!! The show was LIVE and we were all holding our breath waiting to see Heidi and Michael sharing our fine tea blends with Martha)
From Japan to the United Kingdom, tea is steeped in history - perhaps more than any other beverage. But with their boozy tea parties and hugely original blends, the trio behind Bellocq Tea Atelier is infusing their brews with 21st-century cool.
For most of us, the words tea party conjore up little girls pouring imaginary beverages for their dollies or fussy old English ladies nibbling scones. Heidi Johannsen Stewart, Scott Stewart and Michael Shannon - the cofounders of Bellocq Tea Atelier - have a more intriguing idea. When in the mood to entertain, they light a candle in the window of their shop in Brooklyn, New York, signaling that all are welcome.
Inside guests might find an accordion player, a chocolatier hosting a tasting, or a bee keeper debuting his honey - and they will most certainly be offered one of Johannsen Stewart's novel cocktails, blended with tea. "It's a more festive way to enjoy tea," says Johannsen Stewart.
The combination does make sense. Pots of Ceylon and mixed drinks are both traditionally consumed in the hours between afternoon and evening, as a means of boosting spirits and taking the edge off. In place of tea sandwiches, Johannsen Stewart recommends less dainty fare, such as dark chocolate, cheese and smoked fish.
Would Queen Victoria have approved? Maybe not, but that isn't the point. "This isn't English teatime," says Shannon. We want Bellocq to reflect our time and our culture."
Full Article and Recipes Published in Print and iPad: Martha Stewart Living, March 2012
Inspired by the Saveur 100list, pierino started a lively discussion on the FOOD52 Hotlineabout your favorite food-related finds of 2011. We had a lengthy staff email chain that was pretty similar. So we took the highlights from both, tallied things up and put together a list of our own.
We didn't end up with exactly 100 items but we have a lucky number around here (can you guess what it is?), so we went with it.
And here it is: The FOOD52 "52"
No. 09, The White Duke
47. Bellocq Teas’ The White Duke: We're smitten with Bellocq's packaging. So far their 'The White Duke' blend is our favorite.
NY はとても厳しくてハードな場所ではあるけれど、どんな人でもありのままに全 てをすぐに受け入れてくれるし、自分の持っている可能性についてチャレンジをす るには最適な場所だと思います。何をするにも自由にできるし...。パリなどは受け 入れて貰えるまでにはかなりの時間を要します。パリやパリ人のリズムを理解し てそれに合わせていって、やっと...という感じです。でも、NY は誰もをスッとま るでそこが彼らのホームタウンであるように受け入れてくれると思います。それと NY では常にいい意味での人々や文化との対立があります。ドアを出たら必ず誰か しらにぶつかり、なにかしらと巡りあいます。僕は NY のそういうところも刺激的 で大好きです。
For a tea lover, the arrival of Bellocq Tea Atelier to Greenpoint, Brooklyn's western shores is intriguing. In an economic climate where serious tea shops are dwindling, what will this recent London transplant to the banks of industrial Brooklyn offer (besides, apparently, dozens upon dozens of intriguing custom blends)?
Upon finding one's way to the almost-unmarked door of Bellocq's Friday-Saturday-only showroom, understanding is almost immediate: as a front-end to their wholesale and online tea business, owners Heidi Johannsen Stewart and her business partners Michael Shannon and Scott Stewart have created a feeling very specific to the teas they purvey. It's less like a food establishment than a rustic salon in which to discuss and experience tea (with an emphasis on the rustic—horseback riding is referenced more than once during my visit, including as a flavor note.)
And the teas themselves—from expectedly earthy pu-erhs to the woodsy custom blends to the selections of pure (unblended) teas—all lilt towards a particular profile of leathery, mushroomy, organic (in the truest meaning) flavors.
But it's the in-house blends, created by Heidi Stewart, that make up the backbone of the boutique (and by boutique I mean you can buy real fur tea cozies that look like Russian hats, yes I do.) From a background in New York restaurants and food styling, blending came instinctively to Stewart. "It's almost like creating perfume. Some things want to work together—they ask to go together." For Stewart, those things might include the passionfruit, rose, green tea and marigold of her "Etoile de L'Inde"blend, or perhaps the juniper and fir tip black tea blend "Noble Savage".
Their blending is based on a respect for the original teas
Stewart stresses that their blending is based on a respect for the original teas, rather than used to mask low-quality teas with scent or disguise. They source their own teas (sometimes abandoning a tea for an entire season if they do not prefer it that particular harvest), and continue to build farm relationships which inspire their blends. Though they're clearly influenced by British tea culture (Stewart herself is addicted to "Bellocq Breakfast"), the world of fine Parisian blends is their muse as well. As well, of course, as the tea.
"We create with the base leaf in mind. It's not just a base for some synthetic flavor, we're using botanicals to complement the spirit of the tea leaves themselves," says Stewart, noting that the botanical ingredients used for blending are sourced from all over—farmers they know, people they meet. Which is no surprise—Stewart and in-house tea expert Ravi Kroesen are eager to talk and share, and the shop has a casual linger-and-sniff-and-taste vibe, with no retail packages to paw through. You have to get right up into the teas, some of which they are not at all afraid to delightedly describe to a customer as smelling "gamey". (There's a pink-veloury lounge adjacent, but sadly we are not invited back to down a few champagne flutes of "White Nixon" blend.)
And whether you think blends are your thing or not, there's no doubt they're innovative and sensitively conceived: the at-first startling "White Wolf" is so cedary and anise forward you worry you'll lose the white tea beneath, but as the tea opens up each constituent part arrives on your palate in its own time. There's the black currant, spearmint, star anise, tea, cedar. Herbal blends, like the "chocolate-kissed Rooibos" are a little on the daring side as well, and don't forget to sniff the "Charleston" blend and get lost deciding whether it's tea or perfume.
Pure teas are of good quality as well, from their small selection of oolongs I sampled a dry-honeyed, stone fruity Phoenix oolong, delicately flavored with an almost elliptical body and a slightly blush-colored liquor. Their Dragonwell eschews the nuttiness usually associated to the classic green tea, while Kroesen is a particular fan of the Ali Shan oolong.
Though Bellocq is new to the off-the-beaten path landscape it's recently inhabited (its previous London pop-up is currently mothballed for future considerations), the store is already building out further, making room and plans for more tea wares, retail space, and—if Kroesen gets his dream—a pu-erh cave.
Bellocq Tea Atelier
104 West Street, Brooklyn NY 11222 (map)
707-431-2962; bellocq.com
Posted by Liz Clayton, November 15, 2011 [Photos: Liz Clayton]
About the author: Liz Clayton drinks, photographs and writes about coffee and tea all over the world, though she pretends to live in Brooklyn, New York. She is bad at keeping up her coffee-world blog attwitchy.org
Autumn has finally arrived in New York, the temperature has begun to drop and beautiful swaths of crimson and gold leaves line the streets of Brooklyn. As our thoughts turn toward the upcoming holidays, we thought to share some of our favorite seasonal pairings with you.
The colors of fall in Brooklyn, New York
A Few Great Teas for a Late-Autumn Weekend:
No. 54 Gypsy Caravan is a marvelous black tea blend befitting the harvest season: full-bodied and smooth with a wisp of light smoke. It's a wonderful post walk-through-the-leaves brew and will also pair beautifully with a beautiful bronzed bird.
Planning to brine your turkey? Consider adding a 1/2 cup of Gypsy Caravan to the brining mixture to impart a light smokey flavor.
Considering a spice rub? Add a tablespoon or two of pulverized No.19 Lapsang Souchong (grind in spice grinder until finely ground) to the mixture for a delightful smokey nuance.
While the brave souls of the world are hitting the stores, we're planning to prepare a pitcher of Caravan Mary's to enjoy with a Monte Cristo sandwiches.
No.54 Gypsy Caravan
Acknowledging the pescetarians and vegetarians, this year we suggest the No. 82 Phoenix Oolong. The tea's delicate toasted notes and stone fruit/nectarine finish pair beautifully with lighter preparations, especially roasted salmon and cornbread stuffing. It's also excellent with slightly spicy food such as curry.
Dessert:
The beloved flavors of the holiday dessert table: apple and caramel, pumpkin and spice, toasted nuts and maple, cream and chocolate require a selection of teas equally sublime. With the traditional spirit of the holiday in mind may we suggest:
No. 36 Darjeeling Second Flush, a single estate grown tea with a wonderfully tailored and elegant profile. It is particularly excellent with apples, chocolate and chestnuts.
No.42 Little Dickens, a caffeine-free rooibos blend with notes of honey, ginger and chocolate. A favorite with the younger set and the young-at-heart.
No.17 Dragonwell, a traditional Chinese green is an intriguing match for a decadent pecan pie.
And as unabashed lovers of all teas Oolong, we plan on enjoying No.05 Ali Shan Oolong with our pie.
Après Feast:
Holiday feasting and the general bon vivant decadence of the weekend can admittedly leave one a bit sluggish and possibly unmotivated.
No.12 Le Hammeau, a lovely tisane of lemongrass, verbena, lavender, rose and mint is light, refreshing and invigorating and the antidote to overindulgence.
No.12 Le Hammeau
For palettes that prefer a earthier lean, No. 34 Roasted Kukicha is a light woodsy Japanese green tea of roasted tea stems. Perfectly suited for the fall countryside, the light brew is hydrating, soothing and restorative.
Bellocq's twist on the traditional Bloody Mary adds an edge of smokey goodness to the beloved brunch tipple. The markets are loaded with amazing pickles, turnips, okra, spicy beans…these days. We skewer a myriad of delicious nibbles and into our Caravan Mary's they go.
Mary I of England
Makes 2 cocktails / recipe may be doubled and tripled.
4 ounces tomato juice 4 ounces vodka or tequila blanco 3 ounces strongly brewed No.54 Gypsy Caravan tea, cooled 2teaspoons prepared horseradish, or to taste 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon chipotle in adobo sauce, or a few dashes of tobasco to taste 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1. Stir together the tomato juice, vodka, No.54 Gypsy Caravan tea, horseradish, Worcestershire, chipotle or tobasco, and lemon juice in a serving pitcher. 2. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as necessary. 3. Fill two highball glasses with ice; divide mixture between glasses. Top with an extra crack of pepper. 4. Load up the glasses with garnishes and serve.
For a tea lover, the arrival of Bellocq Tea Atelier to Greenpoint, Brooklyn's western shores was intriguing. In an economic climate where serious tea shops are dwindling, what would this recent London transplant to the banks of industrial Brooklyn offer (besides, apparently, dozens upon dozens of intriguing custom blends)?
[Photos: Liz Clayton]
Upon finding one's way to the almost-unmarked door of Bellocq's Friday-Saturday-only showroom, understanding is almost immediate: as a front-end to their wholesale and online tea business, owners Heidi Johannsen Stewart and her business partners Michael Shannon and Scott Stewart have created a feeling very specific to the teas they purvey. It's less like a food establishment than a rustic salon in which to discuss and experience tea (with an emphasis on the rustic—horseback riding is referenced more than once during my visit, including as a flavor note.)
And the teas themselves—from expectedly earthy pu-erhs to the woodsy custom blends to the selections of pure (unblended) teas—all lilt towards a particular profile of leathery, mushroomy, organic (in the truest meaning) flavors.
But it's the in-house blends, created by Heidi Stewart, that make up the backbone of the boutique (and by boutique I mean you can buy real fur tea cozies that look like Russian hats, yes I do.) From a background in New York restaurants and food styling, blending came instinctively to Stewart. "It's almost like creating perfume. Some things want to work together—they ask to go together." For Stewart, those things might include the passionfruit, rose, green tea and marigold of her "Etoile de L'Inde"blend, or perhaps the juniper and fir tip black tea blend "Noble Savage".
Their blending is based on a respect for the original teas.
Stewart stresses that their blending is based on a respect for the original teas, rather than used to mask low-quality teas with scent or disguise. They source their own teas (sometimes abandoning a tea for an entire season if they do not prefer it that particular harvest), and continue to build farm relationships which inspire their blends. Though they're clearly influenced by British tea culture (Stewart herself is addicted to "Bellocq Breakfast"), the world of fine Parisian blends is their muse as well. As well, of course, as the tea.
"We create with the base leaf in mind. It's not just a base for some synthetic flavor, we're using botanicals to complement the spirit of the tea leaves themselves," says Stewart, noting that the botanical ingredients used for blending are sourced from all over—farmers they know, people they meet. Which is no surprise—Stewart and in-house tea expert Ravi Kroesen are eager to talk and share, and the shop has a casual linger-and-sniff-and-taste vibe, with no retail packages to paw through. You have to get right up into the teas, some of which they are not at all afraid to delightedly describe to a customer as smelling "gamey". (There's a pink-veloury lounge adjacent, but sadly we are not invited back to down a few champagne flutes of "White Nixon" blend.)
And whether you think blends are your thing or not, there's no doubt they're innovative and sensitively conceived: the at-first startling "White Wolf" is so cedary and anise forward you worry you'll lose the white tea beneath, but as the tea opens up each constituent part arrives on your palate in its own time. There's the black currant, spearmint, star anise, tea, cedar. Herbal blends, like the "chocolate-kissed Rooibos" are a little on the daring side as well, and don't forget to sniff the "Charleston" blend and get lost deciding whether it's tea or perfume.
Pure teas are of good quality as well, from their small selection of oolongs I sampled a dry-honeyed, stone fruity Phoenix oolong, delicately flavored with an almost elliptical body and a slightly blush-colored liquor. Their Dragonwell eschews the nuttiness usually associated to the classic green tea, while Kroesen is a particular fan of the Ali Shan oolong.
Though Bellocq is new to the off-the-beaten path landscape it's recently inhabited (its previous London pop-up is currently mothballed for future considerations), the store is already building out further, making room and plans for more tea wares, retail space, and—if Kroesen gets his dream—a pu-erh cave.
Posted by Liz Clayton, November 15, 2011 at 7:45 AM
The Best Teas in the World
I love fine tea. It restores, inspires, encourages, and uplifts.
You can imagine how delighted I am to discover the most elegant new tea company, Bellocq.
I’ve traveled the world—Paris, Tokyo, London, remote high-elevation corners of India, St. Petersburg, Colombo and Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka and beyond—in search of the most delicious and fragrant teas. I’m always looking for rare Broken Orange Pekoes, First Flush teas, single estate teas (Margaret’s Hope), velvety Assams, refreshing Moroccan mints, the best-quality tea leaves, the loveliest and most delicate blends, and for breakfast always a fortifying brewed tea.
And now I’ve found the very best tea, in Brooklyn.
It’s the chic new tea company, Bellocq. Such a divine name, and dozens of extraordinary blends and teas. I’ve added a complete listing of Bellocq teas below. One or two will tickle your fancy.
Come and meet the three fabulous and poetic talents who created Bellocq, discover their glorious teas, and then you must taste them yourself. Order a canister. Brew. Instant bliss.
“We wanted to create something that we couldn't find that represented the kind of integrity that we feel is lacking in the tea market. This was a chance for all of us to use the multitudes of skills we’ve been honing for so long but that might not be needed or appreciated in the corporate/mass-market world.” – Michael Shannon, co-founder of Bellocq
Bellocq’s founders, Heidi Johannsen Stewart, Michael Shannon and Scott Stewart joined creative forces a few years ago. They wanted to collaborate on a shared aesthetic vision—an appreciation of traditional artisan work and a passion for tea.
“Tea is an affordable, everyday luxury,” said Heidi, a former Martha Stewart Living editor, stylist and columnist, whose work is featured on the pages of publications including Food and Wine magazine, and the New York Times.
“Bellocq’s approach to flavor and fragrance is tailored to a stylish, well-traveled, and knowledgeable client,” said Heidi. “We are re-imagining the tea business to suit the needs and desires of the modern discerning tea drinker. We want to cultivate a genuine relationship with our clients and provide the highest level of service which is, to some extent, intuitive.
Michael Shannon worked in the world of product design for notable companies such as Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, where he contributed to the beloved catalogue Martha-by-Mail. He also contributed his style and savoir-faire to cult favorite clothing and housewares company, Anthropologie.
“I’m fascinated with early techniques so I continue my education in many forms of artistry including blacksmithing, tailoring, glassblowing and carpentry,” said Shannon.
“The craftsmanship of tea is an art-form in itself,” he noted. “Growing and processing leaves requires great skill and sensitivity, I continue to be amazed and humbled.”
Scott Stewart, partner in Bellocq, is co-owner and founder of fabrication firm, SAAW, inc. the firm behind high-end commercial interiors such as Anthropologie and Barney’s New York.
As a sitting member on the board of directors for the pioneering eco-clothing label Stewart+Brown, Scott notes, “There is a choice to be made and we have committed ourselves to working with responsible gardens and merchants to select the finest and freshest organic teas. Teas are a seasonal commodity, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at most of the product available, it’s been on the shelves for a long time. For us, it’s quality over quantity. Furthermore, as a company committed to preserving traditional craft techniques and the communities in which they thrive, it’s not just about the product, but also the process, which includes the health and well-being for all involved. For Bellocq, it’s not about providing an incredible product and honoring relationships along the way.”
The trio find themselves traveling, often with children in tow, to far-flung locations in search of traditional techniques to integrate into Bellocq’s modern expression.
The fabulous Bellocq teas
What sets them apart: the leaves are fresh, the leaves and flowers and pods and natural ingredients are of the best quality.
These are incredibly refined and complex flavors, the best of the best. They are sold as loose-leaf teas, though you can make bags from provided sachets.
I love the Bellocq Breakfast tea—and a tea-lover only has to look at the tealeaves, which are twiggy and long, with a bracing bouquet.
Bellocq teas were introduced in the first tea atelier in London last year. Now the Bellocq teas are selling like…er, hot cakes…at Bergdorf Goodman in New York.
Restoration Hardware in Los Angeles, where I first discovered Bellocq, can’t keep some blends in stock. And the Bellocq team is constantly traveling to find more tea.
“Picture us, traveling through deepest Central Mexico, packed to the rafters in our little rental car—indigenous textiles tucked into every available nook and cranny—our bumper nearly dragging along the highway while the rear window is obscured of vision because of the 20 pounds of tuberoses we didn’t have the heart to leave behind. But we’re loving every minute of it and are so inspired by the wonderful people we’ve met along the way. We’ve been fortunate to be part of an exceptional creative community and wish to share our knowledge and inspiration with each and every customer.” – Michael Shannon
Brooklyn
“It is in Brooklyn where it all happens. Our showroom has been a labor of love which makes it all the more enjoyable when we get to entertain others. We are now working on a series of events that will include everything from lectures to intimate musical performances.”
The showroom/tea atelier will also act as a retail store several days a week. It's an opportunity to interact with customers in a way that we feel closest. Customers are able to try any tea they find curious. "We are also beginning to carry teas that are too rare to wholesale. It is important to us that any environment we create touch upon the senses in more than just taste. We create everything here by ourselves right down to the plaster of the walls, building and upholstering of furniture... not to mention the work that goes into creating and producing the teas,” said Michael Shannon of Bellocq.
Small-batch tea blends will continue to evolve, reflecting the seasons and Bellocq will be offering bespoke blending opportunities as well.
Heidi said, “Scent and flavor not only bring back forgotten emotions and memories, but envelope us in the present and influences mood. It’s a powerful conduit. I read, somewhere, that tea is, essentially, a journey of water.” That’s a wonderfully poetic sentiment.
Bellocq Teas:
Prices from $15.95 for the vivid yellow Bellocq box of Ceylon OP, to $104 for a large, luxurious silver tea caddy full of Darjeeling Second Flush.
Tea Atelier:
37 Greenpoint Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11222
{entrance at 104 West St.}
open to the public Fridays and Saturdays
T: 1.800.495.5416
“The Brooklyn Atelier is only open on Friday and Saturdays 12-7 and it is our main focus now. We are hosting events all all kinds and the experience here is the true experience that one would have gotten in London. Customers are able to taste and smell anything they like. We also are carrying teas that are too rare for our wholesale line as well as short run blends that we can't help our selves from creating!” said Michael Shannon.
