Recently I got restless and went for a walk during my lunch hour, ending up at the local Murchie’s Tea and Coffee shop. I have many fond memories of this company and their shop on Robson, some dating back to my childhood. They moved from Robson to Pender a few years ago, but I still miss their old shop; it was much smaller and didn’t have enough floorspace for a tea shop like they have now, but it was charming. It felt lived in, with its dark woods and slightly warped flooring, and at the back of the store they had lovely floor-to-ceiling wood shelves where the large canisters of tea were kept. When I stood at that counter with my purchases, I always felt like I’d somehow become part of a grand tradition, one that had worn smooth the edges of the shelves as the business of tea was done. I also rather liked the sales staff, and particularly remember an older lady who always had a kind word for her visitors.
The ‘new’ Murchies shop is larger, brighter and includes a tea shop, but I don’t feel as at home there yet. The old scarred shelves are gone, and their new decor has a delicate asian orientation to it, complete with what what looks like an antique oriental tea chest, although I’m no expert on that sort of thing.
The shoplady must have thought my visit very odd; a solitary woman carefully picking up a china mug, cupping it between her hands, only to put it down and repeat the process with another. She watched me veeeerrrrrrryyy closely as I walked round her shop, and trailed after me while I tested out the mugs.
It may have looked odd, but I’ve learned that a mug or cup that lives in my home needs to feel comfortable in my hands, and since I have small hands, I often cradle my mug between them. Yes, just like a little kid. Bottom line is it needs to feel at home in my hands, and there’s no other way to find that out.
In the end I didn’t purchase anything, but I did realize how long it’s been since I bought one of my favourites from them. At this time of year we tend to slow down our tea purchases because of the impending hot weather, but things have been so up and down lately that I suspect there are many cups of tea to go yet. So the question is, do I indulge in some No. 10 blend or their Empress blend?
