By Joel Cintron
The Hartford Courant
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) Entrepreneur Kristy Joyce says coming up with a new tea blend and then creating its name and design is the favorite part of owning her business.
HARTFORD, Conn
While most people know the bigger businesses in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood, they may be missing a hidden gem tucked away at 50 Bartholomew Ave. Just two buildings away from Hog River Brewing Co. stevia
Ritual Earth Tea opened its doors in April 2018. As her website suggests, Kristy Joyce is a one-woman show who assembles each batch of tea by hand. She says it’s actually her favorite part of the process, coming up with a new blend, then creating its name and design.
It’s that love of tea, and a need for a change in her life, that got her here.
After an emotionally and physically draining 2017, Joyce wanted to slow down. As a full-time hair stylist, she is always moving. But she says what gave her hope every day was coming home and drinking tea.
“No matter what happens today, I can go home and I can pick out loose-leaf tea … whatever I want from my stash and just watch it steep,” Joyce says. “And everything is going to be OK.”
In a sense, it became a form of meditation for Joyce. She would put away her phone as she gazed at the water as her tea seeped, and then drink it in silence. She says it helped her through a lot.
