Like in English, the French word for “Tea” (“Thé”) is pronounced the same way as the letter T. And that’s how this boutique tea brand is appropriately named – Collection T.
We chanced upon this tea house when we were exploring new neighbourhoods in Paris.
We decided to slow down and smell the roses teas as we were getting bored with the more famous French tea brands which you might have heard of overseas.
A family of tea-lovers
The story of Collection T started from the Vasseur family which founded Volupté in 2002, one of the most famous salon de thé (tea shops) in Cannes today.
Over more than a decade, Volupté’s products gradually built up a loyal following in both France and internationally, and the maison launched its own tea brand in 2015.
Still managed by the founding family today, their daughter Chloé Vasseur runs their three tea shop outlets in France – one in Cannes and two in Paris.
Earliest memories of the tea connaisseur
In an interview, Chloé explained that one of her first tea memories was of her dad with an old tea pot that noone was allowed to touch.
Every day without fail, in the wee hours of the morning, her dad Philippe would savour a special blend of London-bought Darjeeling in a corner of the house.
Alone, all by himself.
He was not to be disturbed as it was “his moment”. Occasionally, he would invite Chloé to déguster the tea with him in silence. That was how she was introduced to her family’s philosophy of the importance of a good cup of tea.
Another interesting anecdote from the interview – if Chloé was a cup of tea, she would be the Sencha OP Fuji.
To her, this japanese tea was subtle yet surprisingly forceful, possessing a dynamic and iodine fragrance that makes it stand out from the rest.
kayafrenchtoast’s pick
One of our favourite products from Collection T is not actually a tea, but a tisane or infusion as it does not contain any caffeine. So you don’t have any excuse to avoid it in the middle of the night now!
Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
The tisane which we fell in love with is called Au Fond Du Jardin (at the back of the garden). It’s a mix of fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and flowers like calendula & rose.
Here’s a picture of the sachets version! They ran out of the loose tea version which we prefer the last time we went.
Beyond tasting great, it’s hard to find a tisane mix that looks as gorgeous in a transparent cup/teapot. ?
You can infuse the mix in cold water for a summer drink, or as a warm herbal tea in the cold depths of winter when you are pining for the sun. Did we mention that it’s organic too??
Being dry and compact, the tisanes and teas here are great and practical souvenirs to bring back home to your friends and family!
Prix et coordonnées
53/55, rue des Martyrs 75009 Paris, Tel no.: +33 1.49.95.04.52, E-mail : contact@collection-t.fr
71 rue d’Argout 75002 Paris, tel no. +33 1.40.20.91.16
41, rue Hoche 06400 Cannes, Tel no.+33 4.93.38.20.41, E-mail : contact@collection-t.fr
7.50€ for 100g
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