Ruth and her partner Dave are the curators of delicious and healthy teas. They sell The Tea Thief teas at the market on Sunday mornings.
You and Dave are both English, did you come to New Zealand together?
No – we met in an American acting class here in Auckland and became friends. Then, in 2015, we were both cast in the film ‘Not for Children’. We got married in the film and we’ve been together ever since.
Have you been involved in the film industry long?
Yes! My degree was in creative visual arts. I used to work as a prop maker in the UK working for Aardman Animations on Chicken Run, then on Star Wars in Australia. I also worked on the Sydney Olympics. I’m now mostly seen in front of the camera or on stage along with Dave with our love of acting.
But you are no longer making props?
No – I used to do model making and painting but I didn’t like the chemicals that I was working with so I moved into stand-by props and then art direction, including a stint on Shortland Street. More recently, I have been producing events, including a shire-inspired event with Weta Workshop, and creating a giant tree at Sylvia Park.
So how did you get into tea?
I’ve always loved tea. When Dave and I got together, our collection grew as we experimented and we bought more interesting teas. Our inspiration for the business was sparked when we were on honeymoon in Greece and were looking for caffeine-free tea. We found Greek Mountain tea and were hooked.
What was it about Greek Mountain tea?
The ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, hailed Greek Mountain tea for its benefits to the immune system and the respiratory system. It has amazing health benefits – it is anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and beneficial for blood pressure. There are scientific studies to support all the claims and I cite them on our website so that people can read the source information.
What about your other teas?
Our teas are sourced from all over the world and either have proven health benefits or have been used for centuries as herbal remedies. They are all organic or wild harvested and from sustainable sources. We want to provide teas that are beneficial for people who drink the tea and for those who are involved in the supply chain.
What role has the Grey Lynn Farmers Market played in your business?
At the moment this is our only shop front, but it is more than that. We attended the market’s business incubator course run by Rebekah Hay (founder of Hakanoa Handmade Drinks), and then we came to the market to do some testing with customers. It really helped us refine our product ideas.
And where did the name come from?
We played with lots of names. In Cockney rhyming slang ‘tea leaf’ is ‘thief’. And it is also a nod to the infamous Robert Fortune who was sent by the British East India Company to steal tea plants from Imperial China in the mid-1800s.
But, of course, our commitment to ethical relationships with our providers is the antithesis of what Robert Fortune did.