Vintage Fork Loose Leaf Tea

Vintage Fork began as a boutique restaurant inside the Rutherford House Museum and grew into an Edmonton tea shop with more than 100 varieties. When Rutherford House closed in March 2020, customers kept asking how to buy the teas, and the shop carried on: today it trades from the Historic Barto Residence at 11425 95A Street, open Tuesday from 10am to 4pm, Wednesday to Friday from 10am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 5pm, closed Sunday and Monday. Anyone who visits gets a free in-store tasting.

The teas come from China, India, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Japan, some sourced directly from farms, some blended by the shop and others through importers, and most are sold in 50, 100, 250 and 500 g, with the premium Chinese teas up to 250 g. The 50 g bag is the way in: English Breakfast at CA$ 8.99, Earl Grey, Sencha and Irish Breakfast around CA$ 9.49 to CA$ 9.99, Iron Goddess oolong at CA$ 12.99, Milk Oolong at CA$ 13.49, Dragonwell at CA$ 16.49, Da Hong Pao and Jin Jun Mei at CA$ 20.49, Taiping Houkui at CA$ 28.99 and Silver Needle at CA$ 34.99.

Pickup at the shop is free, eligible Edmonton and Calgary postal codes get free local delivery, and the rest of Canada pays CA$ 15 in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan or CA$ 20 elsewhere until the order reaches CA$ 75, when shipping is free. There is a matcha subscription of 50 or 100 g a month, a Gold Leaves loyalty programme and tasting events. Of Edmonton's two independents this is the one for Chinese greens and oolongs; the 124 Street shop is the one for classic blacks.