by Michelle Sproule | Kicking about on Main Street last weekend I stopped in to check out Cultivate, a new-ish tea bar off 20th. Inside, the concrete floors and single wall of retail shelving convey a simple, almost austere aesthetic with wood accents and throw pillows adding warmth. The menu is as uncomplicated as the space: single serving teas, tasting flights, cold brews, and a small selection of baked goods brought in from Basho in Hastings-Sunrise.

Owners Jude Wang and Lynn Liu know everything about the teas they serve and sell. They’ve all been sourced directly from small farms and foragers in China. Three years ago, Jude knew nothing about tea, drinking only standard cups of stash. Back then he would have been hard pressed to be able to tell the difference between Oolong and Anji Baicha Green. Then he moved to China, where one thing led to another and he met Lynn. The two had one particularly memorable experience in a tea house, which turned them into converts. “There is a spirit in tea…the history, the traditions, the farmers, the craft, the brewing — something about it is wonderful, profound and heartfelt,” Jude explains. If you let them, he and Lynn will happily take your understanding of it to the next level.

Cultivate Tea Brew Bar | 3623 Main Street | Vancouver, BC | www.cultivatetea.com

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