Dear tea friends,
Happy February! Hard to believe we’re already in the second month of the year, as I’m still in a reflective mood. One thought I keep coming back to lately is the number four. In Chinese culture, four is not generally regarded as a lucky number, but I beg to differ. As it turns out, BCT is now 4 years old (!), while our tea room just turned 4 months old.
And - we now have a team of 4!!!! It has been the biggest blessing for me to meet these fine humans, all of whom, in addition to loving and supporting BCT, are wonderful artists and creatives in their own right. I could write a lot more about them here, but for now I’ll just say that something I’m really excited about is making BCT a place where each one can share their passions and talents with the greater community. Last year, we hosted writing workshops with Allison and a chabu crafting workshop with Ciana. Please look forward to even more staff-led special events this year!
So that was three already; here’s a fourth auspicious four: this year, for our 2026 Lunar New Year Gift Boxes, we’ve got a whopping 4 options for you to choose from! We’ve got 6 stellar red-themed teas — 3 oolong and 3 black — and we’re teaming up with Em of Cafe Soupçon once again to bring back BOTH of our classic LNY treats: sesame rice krispies AND Dark Honey osmanthus shortbread cookies. Can’t decide? Get all teas + all treats in the Double Red Party Box, OR both versions of the mini box. You’re welcome. 😉
An additional PSA: Did you know that Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day are right around the same time this year? Here’s a little poem to help you celebrate two holidays with one box (because who doesn’t love feeding two birds with one scone?):
🌹 Roses are red,
🧧 Lucky envelopes too.
🎁 A tea box for New Year,
♥️ And a cup shared with you.
Speaking of birds - we’ve got some early bird discounts on the tea boxes through this Sunday, check them out! 👇
One last auspicious four: Cafe Soupçon will be popping up at our tea room 4 days this month — 2/15, 2/21, 2/22, and 2/28 — with treats available for purchase a la carte to accompany your teatime. Due to building logistics, the pop-up will be available only to our tea room guests with reservations on those days (no walk-ins, sorry)! You can, however, reserve the Pickup/Shopping/Communal Table option for free to come for the pop-up (just please honor your reservation time!).
In the meantime, on Saturday 2/21, we ourselves will be popping up at The Mushroom Shop, with new teas to sample + LNY boxes for sale as well! Come by and meet us for a cup or four. 🍵🍵🍵🍵
We’re running a Lunar New Year Red Envelope Promotion throughout this month at the tea room! Order one of six red-themed teas for the chance to draw a red envelope and try your luck. Each one contains a discount, a freebie, or a gift card — with a grand prize of a $50 tea room gift card!
Friday 2/13: Our first ever Tea & Movie Night! Join us for a cozy vintage screening of Whisper Of The Heart (a 1995 Studio Ghibli classic) with hot tea service and good company. It’s Valentine’s Day Eve, so yes we picked a love story. But it’s not overly romantic; it’s also about music and writing and working hard and chasing your dreams! So either bring a Valentine or simply come and enjoy your own lovely company.
We’re also trying to add more tea classes into our regular rotation! Here is one to kick things off:
Brewing Looseleaf Tea Simply & Intuitively. First date: Friday, 2/20. This class is for anyone ready to move beyond the very specific steeping instructions printed on tea packaging (1 tsp, 185°F, 4 minutes…) and learn how a little knowledge and observation can help you brew any loose leaf tea well. You will learn to read a tea's physical characteristics and brew it with confidence, using only a mug!
If there are any classes or events you’d like to see, please feel free to let us know. As a reminder, we’re always open to private and corporate tea tasting inquiries, either at your place or ours, or online! Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or cultural celebration, we’d love to bring the joy of having tea together to your special occasion.
That’s all for now.. thanks for reading, as always!
-Yin
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