New Tea Shop Now Open in Farmington

Editor’s note: We published this story earlier in the week, but here it is again in case you missed it.

Culteavo Tea Shop, Farmington Valley’s first destination tea shop providing experiences and education tied to the local community and culture, officially opened for business on July 4.

The shop is located at 29 Mill St. in a restored brick factory along the Farmington River in Unionville. The store will soon host a grand opening celebration (date to be announced later).

“Our goal is to be a destination store for visitors and a resource for locals providing them with experience and knowledge that will open up new possibilities into the world of tea,” said owner Viviana Pinhasi, who is originally from Argentina but has lived all over the world in places like Spain, Mexico, and Germany.

Culteavo will specialize in premium loose leaf teas along with a variety of tea-infused food, such as fine chocolates and locally baked pastries, as well as gourmet gift baskets and tea accessories. At the tea tasting bar, customers will be able to sample different teas, with the goal of enabling them to discover their preference and create appreciation for the fascinating world of tea.

With appreciation of tea comes respect of the environment that produces it, and for this reason, one of Culteavo’s most important values is to be eco-friendly. Culteavo only uses compostable, USDA Certified Biobased cups to serve teas in the shop, and reusable tins to pack and store the teas.

Culteavo also features a selection of premium, fair trade teas handpicked by Nepali and Kenyan farmers as well as Ten Thousand Villages products whose proceeds go directly back to the artisans and farmers, which means more food on tables, better access to medicine, and being able to afford school fees for their children.

“We seek to provide customers with a tea discovery process that incorporates culture, community, wellness, awareness, and awakening of the senses,” said Pinhasi, who is a trained Tea Sommelier and Tea Blender.

Iced teas will be available “to go” in addition to hot teas, and in future months, the store will host social, culinary, and educational events with a special focus on community involvement.

For more information, visit www.culteavo.com and Facebook/Twitter @culteavo, or call 860-470-5121.

Photos courtesy of Viviana Pinhasi.