In 2021, one of the benchmark brands in the tea world announced the remodeling of its shop and the closure of its salon. If the news sent shivers down the spine of fans, it was only a storm in a cup of matcha, as Camellia Sinensis redesigned its historic space on rue Émery, which we visited shortly after its inauguration.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
“At the beginning, I was a little scared when they announced that they wanted to redo the store. But today, I feel like I’m in a museum! says Kate Kendall, a loyal customer (and former employee) of the tea house, who came to discover the new face of the place, bowl of pu-erh in hand. Around her, the metamorphosis is striking. Formerly separated into two sections, sales room and living room, the business has established a hyphen by relying on the opening of spaces.
-
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The new tasting area allows visitors to make comparisons, while interacting with the staff. Here, Kate Kendall is served by tea consultant Véronique Gagné.
-
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Handicrafts, teapots, cups and bowls, are best showcased.
-
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The pu-erh cellar, set up in the back of the new shop
-
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Tastings are meant to be affordable. “It’s not really a place to come and work with a laptop, but more of a time to chat over tea with professionals”, specifies Hugo Américi.
-
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The selection of teas is always extensive, with sure values remaining on the menu, to which new ones are added each year, such as sencha Soufu.
-
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The tasting area will also be used for the workshops.
-
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The storefront has also had a makeover.
1/7
Oriental architectural serenity
Adorned with white oak, dimmed lights, ceramic and touches of deep green evoking oriental architectural serenity, the new layout by Machine Design results in more open areas and better product presentation. Past the giant screen at the entrance, the eye is immediately drawn to the craft accessories, teapots and cups by local and international ceramists, beautifully displayed on wall shelves. At the back, there are two illuminated built-in cupboards: a pu-erh cellar, where compressed cakes continue to age, and the “wall of curiosities”, exhibiting pieces with a history or unique manufacturing, such as bowls designed with the ancestral tenmoku technique.
We try to get people to know better what is behind these objects, their craftsmen and their history.
Hugo Américi, founder and co-owner of Camellia Sinensis
Between the two structures, a French window will soon give a view of a contemplative garden.
As for the counters in the boutique section, they have been completely redesigned. The metal pots containing some 200 varieties of tea unearthed around the world are now replaced by elegant white containers that seem to float in the air, evoking the prayer wheels of Buddhist temples, to which is added a section of containers in brass for the great vintages.
Teas to taste
But the heart of the brand’s new orientation is above all embodied by the setting up of a tasting area, adjoining a tea preparation area, facilities intended to encourage exchanges and discoveries on site.
“Since the opening of Camellia Sinensis in 1998, we have not remained on the status quo, and we often wonder how we could evolve, find new concepts. One of our great pleasures has always been the organization of tea courses. We wanted to offer people the possibility of tasting quietly around themes, discussing and exchanging around tea with our staff”, explains Mr. Américi.
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Hugo Américi, founder and co-owner of the tea shop
The experience is intended to be intimate, the installation accommodating up to four guests, who can choose between half a dozen comparative formulas, in order to better understand the differences between certain types of tea. Currently, for example, we propose to taste back to back a green wulong and a grilled wulong, a Chinese black tea and its Indian counterpart, or a duo of pw-erh of the shou and sheng type. It costs $5 per tasting couple, or $8 for higher grades. In the evening, this space turns into a place dedicated to workshops.
“Eventually, we would like customers to be able to taste any tea on the menu, in order to be able to make their choice more easily,” announces Hugo Américi.
351 Emery Street, Montreal