Sipping Barefoot:

A Love Affair

By

Addie Sokol

Barefoot Sage customers are a savvy bunch. They recognize the value in paying close attention to their feet. They also know that the only way this favored self-care ritual can be topped is by marrying the experience with an outstanding pot of tea.

Heather Agosta and Chuck Bauman met in 2001 as employees at New Renaissance Bookstore in Portland. Heather had always loved tea. Chuck? Not so much. He frequently drank the tea provided for staff at work, but it was not until his first cup of jasmine pearl tea there that he had his first tea-piphany. He began purchasing the tea and bringing it to friends’ houses where it could be shared and mutually appreciated. Jasmine pearl tea, Heather explains, “Embodies everything beautiful that there is about tea.” A series of love affairs were born—between Heather and Chuck, and between the couple and tea.

In 2002, the new couple left the bookstore to go traveling. Neither was a big drinker of alcohol, so throughout Europe and Morocco, they spent countless hours in tea houses. It was there, in one of those magnificent tea houses, that the idea for opening a tea shop was born. Once home in Portland, the two began sourcing teas while researching the ins and outs of starting a business. Just as they were coming to terms with the fact that they lacked the hefty capital needed to start a tea house, a friend posed a question to them: what about selling teas directly to consumers and businesses? That simple shift in perspective changed everything. “Suddenly, we got green lights everywhere,” says Heather. “We understood that this is what we should be doing-- blending and selling.”

While their ideas for a future company took shape, the couple began working as managers at The Barefoot Sage, which had newly opened. During their off hours, they laboriously transformed the basement of a beautiful North Portland home into an Oregon Department of Agriculture food safe handling facility. In 2004, the two left the spa to devote themselves full-time to their company.

When it comes to developing custom tea varieties today, Heather and Chuck are enthusiastic experimenters committed to offering their clients unique custom blends and a diverse, well researched line of teas to suit every taste. A few of the teas that arrive at their door from around the world are considered so precious (certain varieties of white tea, for instance) that they require no accompaniments. In other cases, an evolving array of fruits, flowers, spices, and flavorings are considered in what Heather calls “a little scientific process” that all new blends must go through until the perfect balance is achieved. The couple credits the world of perfumery for offering hints (think top, middle, and base notes) as to what satisfies the palate, but the recipes are always their own.

The tea blending process can be a complex one. Take The Jasmine Pearl’s signature Chaz’ Chai, for instance, a favorite served at the Barefoot Sage. “Chuck had an outstanding chai recipe, but it disappeared during one of our moves! So we had to sit down and try and work out a new formula,” explains Heather. “Now, we roast all the spices for the chai, but you can’t throw them in a pot together because some things go bitter if you roast them for too long. So we had to find the perfect individual roasting time for each spice. Then we had to work out the correct blend of spices. Finally, we had to work out the right balance of tea to spices. It took us a long time to come up with the ideal recipe, but we’re very happy with it now.”

When it comes to the combination of tea and foot massage, Chuck and Heather agree that it’s a beautiful duo. “Tea is an extremely healthy beverage, and it lends itself to being mellow,” Chuck explains. “At the same time, it’s slightly stimulating, but not overly so. You could serve coffee at the spa…but it’d be a whole different experience. Research suggests that tea is slower to absorb into the system than coffee and slower to drop off, too, so there’s not usually a crash associated with it. At the same time, a little caffeine impacts the heart positively, improving circulation, just like massage does.”

Heather adds, “The Barefoot Sage is a spa, yes, but it’s a social spa. You relax, but in the company of others rather than in a room by yourself. And tea is social, too. Everyone can relate to tea; everyone can find a type they love. So while you’re sitting on those cozy couches with others around, you are comforted by the foot massage and comforted by the tea at the same time. The pairing is such a natural one.”

Delicious Jasmine Pearl teas served at The Barefoot Sage can be purchased at the spa for home brewing.

Additionally, you can view and order from the entire line of Jasmine Pearl teas at:

www.thejasminepearl.com

Or call Heather and Chuck to order directly at 503.236.3539