Tea Time in the Capital: Kusmi Comes to Ottawa

Photo courtesy of Kusmi Tea

One of the world’s oldest and most richly-flavoured tea companies is here in Canada at last! Born in the same year as Canada’s confederation, Kusmi Tea is celebrating 150 years of quality by opening their first store in Ottawa! As of this week, you can explore their storied and expansive collections in their new store on the Rideau Centre’s 3rd floor.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one steep. In 1867, the eldest son of a peasant family in Russia, Pavel Kousmichoff, receives a small tea house as a wedding gift. Having been trained in the subtle art of tea blends, Kousmichoff quickly builds a name for himself until 1880 when his company catches the attention of the Tzar. Bouquet de Fleurs — a flavour that’s still available today — became the Tzar’s favourite after Kousmichoff invented it for his daughter, Elisabeth.

In 1917, the Russian Revolution forces the family to flee Russia for Paris. There they establish the Kusmi Tea house which experiences great prosperity during the years between the two World Wars. The company gets sold in the 70s and becomes officially Parisian. In the 2000s the brand really flourished with the release of their Wellness Tea line, a shiny new store in the famous Champs-Elisees, and an online presence!

Today, Kusmi Tea is sold nearly worldwide, with 85 boutiques in 35 countries and a selection of 100 different tea blends!

The Kusmi brand is not only richly historical but is also deeply invested in the future! Involved in several different partnerships, Kusmi supports causes ranging from the fight against breast cancer to protecting endangered tigers with the WWF. Kusmi is of course also committed to sustainability; in order to be able to offer a product that is as environmentally friendly and as responsible as possible, the tea company only works with producers with strict standards.

As of July 2018, you can visit Kusmi on the third floor of our downtown Rideau Centre. Check out their website and see their amazing selection for yourself!