Carriage House Tea
170 Worth Street
Asheboro, NC 27203
336-736-8714
carriagehousetea.com
Named after the notable grounds that serve as the headquarters for this tea company, Carriage House Tea, as the name suggests, is located adjacent to a carriage house that was built in 1917. The important landmark in downtown Asheboro originally inspired Mary Murkin, otherwise known as “Lady Mary,” to purchase the property to open her very own art gallery to feature the works of talented artists of central North Carolina. However, after an extensive renovation to the carriage house to return the building to its glory days and with a deep-seated desire to share her love of tea with others, Mary began to dream of much more for the space than simply showcasing art. In 2013, Carriage House Tea was born—the first tea business in town—and the land was reimagined to become a place where both artists and tea drinkers alike could mingle in a location steeped in history.
To fully understand the jovial spirit of this tea company, one must first get to know Lady Mary. Admirably passionate about the art of taking tea, full of endless personality, and the town’s go-to cheerleader and unofficial spokesperson, Mary is a confident bundle of energy, enthusiasm, and devotion to her business and her community. After fantasizing about opening her own business since the mere age of five and postponing that aspiration for decades due to getting married, having children, and homeschooling for 13 years, Mary finally had her turn to shine. “I started this tea company from the ground up,” proclaims Mary. “I went into it sort of blissfully blind . . . and once you’re figuring things out and super invested, then you have to keep going.” The intentional decisions that she made to create Carriage House Tea—from the old-fashioned logo (a nod to the namesake) and the attractive shape of the tea canisters to the subtle, yet oh-so thoughtful decorative touches that celebrate the storied past of the grounds—all strive to “fuse old world charm with modern day selections.” Whether you choose to stop by and sample a new brew in person at the brick- and-mortar shop, peruse the retail area of the store that is filled with an abundance of teawares, or opt to purchase a blend or two (online for those who live elsewhere), adding products from Carriage House to your tea repertoire is certainly worthwhile.
If you are searching for black, green, rooibos, matcha, or more, Carriage House Tea offers a wide range of premium loose-leaf varieties, precisely 160, to provide numerous kinds of tea to consumers so that there is a bounty of options to select from for whichever types might strike your fancy. Everything is blended and packaged directly on-site. From variations on classics, such as breakfast blends and spice-filled chais, to fruity choices that are exceptionally lovely when sipped in the spring and summer, like Papaya Strawberry Green Tea, and even a few cheekily named ones that might cause someone to blush, there is truly a tea for everyone and every moment under the sun within their umbrella of offerings. “Tea is good for all occasions,” says Mary. “If something really, really bad happens in your life, you have to put on the tea. If something really wonderful happens, go put on the tea! And if you have some friends coming over to visit, you must put on the tea.”
Regardless of how you experience Carriage House Tea, you are bound to leave the encounter with a newfound respect for the beloved beverage, potentially a new favorite blend, and perhaps a laugh from interacting with Lady Mary herself if you happen to have the opportunity to visit in person. “I have six rooms in this building filled with handmade art,” states Mary. “But it’s one room, the tearoom, that has allowed me to stay in business for the last nine years.” It just goes to show that sometimes dreams can change from their initial origins and evolve into marvelous ideations that are dissimilar from the start but utterly perfect and even better than imagined, and that seems to be the case for Mary Murkin’s art gallery–turned–tea company that is successfully bringing in new tea enthusiasts every day.
Carriage House Tea is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
