Cincinnati Magazine
A Cincinnati Tea Journey with Kathleen Kern
By Aiesha D. Little - November 16, 2021 | Illustration by Ryan Olbrysh
Our former tea shop provided Cincinnatians with loose leaf blends for nearly two decades. The first location offered more than 265 varieties, but over the last few years, owners Kathleen and Jerry Kern, and their daughter, Katherine, had expansion on their minds. The family-run business added a second location to the roster, taking over a new retail space that allowed them to host more private events. Grab 10 of your closest friends for an afternoon tea and tea tasting session and see what the hype is about.
Artclectic Gallery
And That's the Tea!
Our Afternoon Tea guests were treated to interesting remarks by our guest speaker, Kathleen Kern. Kathleen is a tea expert and former business owner who ran multiple locations in the Cincinnati area.
Kathleen spoke about her travels around the world in her quest to learn more about tea, its traditions, and to bring back the finest loose leaf teas the world has to offer. Her passion has led her to explore the history of tea over the past 5000 years and the many traditional practices developed along the way. She shared her first-hand observations about some of the world’s best tea gardens.
Guests had a chance to sample unlimited cups of four varieties of fine teas and helped themselves to delicious tea sandwiches, nut-free scones, and sweets, all served on vintage china against a backdrop of beautiful artwork.
Women of Cincy
A Cup of Tea with Kathleen Kern
Interview by Laura Leavitt. Photography by Ella Barnes.
All the tea in the world comes from the exact same plant, Kathleen Kern informed me when we sat down to chat at her former tea shop. I find this hard to believe as I survey the options available: The whole wall of the shop was devoted to a menu of more than 250 loose-leaf tea blends.
We decided to inspire people on a tea journey. That motto was what kept us going.
Could you tell me about your interest in tea and where that came from?
Initially, I started the business because I couldn’t find good tea. Back in 2003, it was just the mass-produced tea bags. I grew up in England and always had good tea. I thought I really knew about tea, but there was a lot to learn.
How does having the whole family as part of the business work out for you?
My daughter, Katherine, was based in London, but worked behind the scenes. My son and my husband were in the business, too; we are very family-oriented. They’ve all jumped aboard, and it became a real family business.
I want to share tea with everybody, but it didn’t start that way.
What was your business background?
I’ve been in executive search for 25-plus years. The tea business wasn’t my initial plan. It was more of a hobby rooted in a desire to search and source good tea. But then it started to grow; the customers grew and the market grew. Now, I want to share the tea story with everybody.
