Charlotte Varcoe
A FRESH take on relaxing and healthy tea has put Mount Gambier’s Aleathia Holland in the entrepreneurial spotlight.
Launching LeaLa Tea Co last year, Ms Holland developed the organic wellness brand after starting to add protein collagen into her own morning tea.
Recently named the Women in Business and Regional Development’s $2500 entrepreneurial scholarship recipient, Ms Holland said hoped the business mentoring opportunity would help take the scale of LeaLa Tea Co to the next level.
“I have big plans for Mount Gambier and ensure I don’t send anything away,” she said.
“I employ local people to help the business and hope to continue to grow locally but receiving this scholarship has given me the confidence and knowledge to scale my business, as well as networking for future collaborations.”
Having always been a tea drinker, Ms Holland said her family had influenced her love for the hot beverage as a comforting tool.
“When I started developing my own tea my aim was to bring full leaf, good quality and organic tea to the home,” Ms Holland said.
Also studying to become a qualified tea master, Ms Holland said it was an eye-opening experience.
“I never realised how much actually goes into the fermentation process and how many different teas there are but for me it will always be about the premium quality,” she said.
“Cillian tea comes from sustainable farming practices which was really important to me when I was sourcing my tea.
“It is the best quality tea that also looks after their workers, is hand picked by female artisans and there are absolutely no machines involved in the picking either.”
After sourcing her tea, Ms Holland said she then hand-packs and blends her own assortments with specific ideas in mind for each individual blend.
“I create my own tea with a serenity tea to assist with relaxation, there are some with lavender to assist with sleep and through this I just want to bring comfort and jot to other people while also giving back to my community,” she said.
“I love tea and the positive impacts it has on mental health is also amazing because it has a range of benefits from allowing some people to focus, help us wake up and also there are some blends that help retain short term memory.”
Ms Holland’s tea packages are currently available at Salts of the Earth in Mount Gambier or on the LeaLa Tea Co website.
