Eatdrink #82 March/April 2020

20 | March/April 2020
Dianne Krampien &
Annette Gerber
Distinctly Tea, Stratford
distinctlyteastratford.ca
By Melissa Graham
Dianne Krampien has been selling tea
on York Street for over a decade. She
started as an employee and became
the owner nine years ago. Her right
hand is her daughter Annette Gerber.
“We work well together,” says
Dianne. “I love working with my
mother,” Annette adds.
Both Dianne and Annette studied
at the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada
and are certified tea sommeliers.
Annette continues, “I love finding the right
tea for the right person.”
They enjoy loyal customers from near and
far. More recently they have noticed a younger
audience popping in for a cup.
The tea selection is vast, lining the walls up to
the ceiling. All kinds of tea: Earl Grey, Oolong,
all the greens, fruit, and even chocolate teas. All
naturally flavoured. The teas come in multiple
sizes, from a 10-gram taster up to a kilogram.
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Most of the tea is blended in Germany.
A selection of beautiful Polish pottery and
Japanese teapots, traditional and modern,
decorate the store. Dianne and Annette host
tea tastings in the winter, but in the summer
they are too busy.
Hot tea to go is available all year, and iced
tea in the summer to enjoy while you walk
along the river. “Tea is so good for your health.
I have been known to be called a tea pusher!”
Dianne tells me. And indeed — I did buy some
excellent tea.
Deb Kussmann
Owner, Pepper Tree Spice Co., Port Stanley
& Western Fair Market, London
peppertreespice.com
As told to Nancy McSloy
Launched as Hyde Park Spice in 2010, the
company was rebranded as Pepper Tree Spice
in 2012. We are now Canada’s leading artisan
spice crafter with over 300 organic and natural
spices, best known for our 90-plus proprietary
artisan hand-crafted blends made on-site in
Port Stanley. Our blends are made with little
to no salt, wheat, dairy or additives. We also
carry gourmet foods, gluten-free and vegan
options, local artisan cheese and bread, as well
as quality kitchenware.
We offer a fresh alternative to mainstream
spice solutions as well as private blending
services for clients nationwide. It is a spice
wonderland! Our cooking classes and workshops
are a great platform to learn about local and
international cooking and more about spices.
Our business is for everyone regardless of
culinary experience. By offering the highest
quality products available, exceptional
customer service and a welcoming space our
customers can be creative and inquisitive. For
me the creativity is endless!
This business has been a natural fusion of
three significant influences in my life: a farm
upbringing, an art degree and a 20-plus-year
career in manufacturing management. At 30
I returned to school and obtained a master’s
degree in business. It is never too late to put
yourself out there! I did at 45 and love it!