Mississauga’s premium tea company is steeped in success, high-quality, and sustainability.
In conversation with Kavita Panchoo, co-owner of VaniTEA Blends.

1. What led you to launch VaniTEA Blends?

VaniTEA Blends was born from an idea of having our own cafe one day, the pandemic drove us to pivot to the world of e-commerce instead. We wanted to simultaneously target the sophisticated and novice palate with atypical tea blends. One of our main goals is to emphasize the luxury and comfort of tea.

2. What separates VaniTEA Blends from other teas?

Bold flavours with a powerful aroma in comparison to off the shelf teas. Our tea leaves are nitrogen flushed preserving the taste and smell while prolonging the shelf life.

3. What sustainability measures are in place?

Our tea bags are compostable, while our tea-ware like teapots and travel infusers are reusable. We also ship in recyclable packaging containing compostable packing peanuts. VaniTEA Blends aligns with a company involved in the Ethical Tea Partnership ensuring fair work practices. Additionally, we partner with another company that installs biosand filters in 6 countries to provide safe drinking water.

4. There are several flavours of teas you have available - how were these decided upon?

It was a combination of personal taste and what we thought would be best sellers. We made several lists and wanted to launch with a certain number in each collection while maintaining a wide variety. There are unusual combinations like popped rice and black tea or familiar flavours like cream of Earl Grey. The curated collection will continue to expand and change with customer feedback.

5. What's a misconception people have about tea? 

Not all teas are true. True teas come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant like black, green and oolong teas and are caffeinated to some degree (even if the package says decaf). Infusions with items like jasmine flowers, ginger or dried fruits are called tisanes and tend to be caffeine free.

6. What do the next 1-3 years look like for VaniTEA Blends?

We hope to create unique signature blends. As well as collaborate with other small businesses within Canada, supporting local artisans and pairing their products with our own. We aim to showcase the versatility of tea. Our other aspirations include converting to 100% compostable private labelling and co-packaging on a larger scale.

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