Welcome to Hoboken Tea!
My name is Brooke LaFlamme and I’m the founder of Hoboken Tea Company. Over the past several years my relationship with tea has evolved from casual enjoyment to hobby to all-out obsession. If you’re not a big tea drinker this might sound strange. What’s the big deal about tea?
When I talk about tea, I’m referring to the caffeinated beverage made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. I also love herbal tea (also known as tisanes), but I put that in a separate category. Even though all tea is made from the same species of plant, there are literally hundreds of varieties of tea, each with their own method of growing and processing, unique terroir, and flavor profile.
As I dived deeper into the world of tea, I realized just how much tea has been ignored here in the US. Where I live, in Hoboken, NJ, there are more than 30 cafes and coffee shops (in a city of about 1 square mile) and most of them pride themselves on serving artisanal top-quality coffee with detailed origin stories. And then, if you want tea, they have some tea bags lying around that they can throw in hot water. No wonder most people opt for coffee!
In 2023 I decided I should do something about this, so I quit my job as a middle manager at a large scientific publishing company and started working on a plan to open a tea shop and café in my adopted hometown of Hoboken.
Since then, I’ve been on a journey to learn everything I can about tea and running a business. At the moment, I am more than halfway through the Tea Sommelier program run by the Academy of Tea and I’ve already completed a diploma in Culinary Management from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, NY.
While a brick-and-mortar store is the goal, Hoboken Tea Company is my first stepping stone to bringing premium tea to my neighbors in Hoboken and beyond. To me, tea is an experience. It makes me happy when I need a pick-me-up. It comforts me when I’m sick and helps me unwind before bed. Whether it’s a strong cup of black tea or a delicious herbal infusion, there’s a tea for every occasion. I want to share that with you. Hoboken Tea Company is my love letter to Hoboken and all of New Jersey.
If you want to be updated when the shop goes live, be sure to sign up for the newsletter on the website. Until then I look forward to sharing more about the world of tea with you here.