BPW To Celebrate With Tea

Newtown Business and Professional Women will have a tea tasting and presentation by Simpson & Vail at the Monday, June 5, meeting at the Inn At Newtown. The meeting will begin at 6 pm with networking.

The Harron family of Brookfield owns Simpson & Vail, a company that dates back to 1904.

Jim Harron, Sr, and his son, Jim, will present a program on the history of tea and will provide the tea tasting. The Harron family has been selling quality teas, coffees and unique products since they bought Simpson & Vail in 1978 and moved to Brookfield three years ago, where they have a retail store. Started by a man named Warbridge, the company was sold in 1929 to a tea taster named Vail, and his partner, Simpson, who had been a bookkeeper for the firm, and renamed Simpson & Vail.

According to Mr Harron, the popularity of tea continues to grow, partly because many people are switching from coffee since adopting healthier lifestyles.

“In 1900 there were only 18 specialty tea businesses and now there are 500,” Mr Harron said. 

Simpson & Vail purchases tea from brokers; the tea is shipped directly from tea plantations all over the world.

The entire Harron family participates in the business. Mrs Herron is in charge of the company’s catalogue and works with a graphic designer; father and son handle marketing and finances. Sister Cyndi is involved in day-to-day operations, and even granddaughter Paulina, 5, has a tea named after her which is an herbal blend for children.

Originally the Harron’s tea business was based on walk-in trade, but as people began to move away they missed being able to purchase their favorite blends. Customers began to write to the company and ask to have certain products shipped to them. The mail-order business which developed is an important part of the company’s business today.

Members and guests at the June meeting are asked to bring a special tea cup to be used during the program. Dinner selections include fish, chicken, or vegetarian, plus salad, dessert, coffee and tea, for $18. For reservations, call Shelley Kappauf at 270-9350.