Have you ever wondered why an Australian tea company has such a french-sounding name?
Despite growing up in Australia, as my family are from England, I have always been fascinated by European culture. Every Saturday night, my dad and I used to watch French films on TV. Jeux d’enfants (Love Me if You Dare) especially captivated my imagination. The film is about a powerful love story between Julien and Sophie, whom life keeps separating, and their attempts to make it work. It’s an unconventional and dangerous relationship. That was the beginning of my admiration for the art and culture française.
In my cooking class, I decided to focus on French cuisine and my portfolio was based on dishes that somehow represented scenes in the film. For the scene in a cafe, I made the typical petit déjuner dish eggs florentine. For the wedding scene, I made a croquembouche. Délicieux! I’ve always said: The best way to tell a story is through food
Shortly after, I bought a Miniature French Poodle. The little fluffy black dog deserved a name that honoured his background, so I named him Julien (or Jules for short). We still refer to him as a little French man.
Fast-forward to my time wandering about Europe, researching and drinking the finest teas. It was my love for tea that led me to leave home and go on a seven month long, far-away adventure.
I went to see a tea farmer in Bretagne (Brittany), in Western France. As I drove in my hire car along the country roads, I started imagining myself owning my own tea company, a dream come true. But what would I call it? I suddenly saw a large sign directing me to ‘St. Julien’ a small commune. It was literally a sign. And voila! from then on, the company had to be called ‘St. Julien Tea’.
