The Merchant Tea & Coffee Company

Not Just Tea And Coffee

Since it first opened in 1990 in Murray St, Perth, The Merchant has grown into a seven-store franchise from Harbour Town in Perth to Applecross, Mandurah, Fremantle, Kalamunda and even Busselton. Its popularity is based simply on the principle of gorgeous tea and coffee, with The Merchant continuously scouring the four corners of the globe for new and fascinating beverages (not just tea and coffee either!)

Scott and I visited the The Merchant Tea and Coffee House at Harbour Town for breakfast one sunny Wednesday morning. At 8:30am, I needed a caffeine boost and The Merchant lived up to its reputation for providing tantalising coffee. Scott had a Chai Latte - this is brewed on the premises, using traditional methods, from Masala Chai Tea blended with fresh cardamom and cloves. This is then mixed with hot milk and topped with freshly ground cinnamon. The aroma was unbelievable.

The Merchant can take pride in offering one of the most extensive ranges of tea in Perth with over 40 varieties. Roasted locally, The Merchant also has its very own special blend of coffee made from a mix of six different varieties of beans. It's delivered weekly too, so you know it's fresh. There are black teas, white teas, green teas - just glance at the menu and you'll be tempted with an absolute treasure trove of drinks.

Harbour Town owner Gary Hancock firmly believes staff training is paramount for customers to benefit from and enjoy the real Merchant experience. Staff members need to be familiar with the huge range of teas and coffees available, and be able to discuss them knowledgably with the customers. "Our white tea is very popular at the moment," explains Gary. The bud is picked when very young and at this stage it's covered with silvery hairs. It produces a very pale tea, with less fermentation than Green tea, retaining even more life-enriching anti-oxidants. Interestingly, it can be infused up to three times. Take home packs of all the different teas are available from the friendly staff at The Merchant's counter.

Iced teas are the "In Thing" in Summer and are made from scratch in store using loose tea and fresh fruit and spices. Tropical Fruit Sunset iced tea is fruity and unbelievably thirst-quenching. Green iced tea, made from a blend of Gunpowder and Sen Cha teas, has a flavour which is pungent, but clean and crisp. The fresh, natural taste of these teas comes from being brewed from loose tea rather than syrups or powders - but then again, this is The Merchant, and not your corner coffee shop.

Breakfasts at The Merchant are very popular, especially on the weekends. The Merchant at Harbour Town is open from 7:30am every day except Sunday, when it opens at 9am. The rich colonial décor and old-world charm of The Merchant certainly makes a pleasant, comfortable environment for a long, leisurely breakfast before doing a bit of shopping.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and The Merchant is a superb place to have it. We sampled traditional bacon & eggs on whole-grain toast, and a delicious, savory, sweet potato muffin called a "Brunchie" (they also come in zucchini flavour) with fresh salad. Our waitress said the Brunchie has become one of the most popular choices on the menu.

The Merchant also serves a delectable range of snacks, pastries, sandwiches, desserts and more. And like their coffee, they insist on only the finest ingredients and everything is as fresh as possible. So if you don't have time to drift across the lands searching for inspirational tea and coffee, then let The Merchant do the traveling for you. Just pop on in, and spend your time deciding which country you want to drink from.

By Georgina Goss