Murchie's Tea and Coffee is a place with name-recognition. In business since 1894, the brand has staying power. It presently has two locations in Vancouver, one in West Vancouver, one in Surrey, and one in Victoria, and has remained a familiar sight and a tourist attraction for generations.
The Vancouver location is arrayed with a wide variety of tea accessories (strainers, teapots, and the like), a large selection of treats (jams, jellies, cookies, spices, etc) and, of course, tea. The ambience immediately evokes a comfortable Victorian sophistication that hearkens back to the tea shops of old; they also have a menu of tasty options for lunch, most of which are quite good and are a fine complement to the beverages.
However, while the classy aesthetic of its retail locations is certainly appealing, the greatest strength of Murchie's is the expertly crafted blends it creates. John Murchie, the company founder, worked in the tea industry in Scotland prior to immigrating to Canada in the late 1800’s and founded the original Murchie's in New Westminster. At Murchie's he proceeded to devise what were at the time some very unorthodox blends. This tradition has carried on to the present day, and if you are a fan of black tea in the traditional English style, you will find much to love. An example of this singular style is Murchie's signature blend, the No 10 Blend, which the website describes as “a mild, sweet blend of green and black teas.” The Prince Charles Blend is also a very interesting creation. It is a product of its constituent parts, with the malty, full-bodied strength of Assam, the pleasing, subtle astringency of a high-grown Ceylon (from the UVA Highland), the fruity crispness and delicacy of Darjeeling, and the bready, fresh notes of Keemun. The overall impression is light on the palate, which makes it ideal for low tea, or lunch. Murchie’s also makes an Earl Grey which is one of the best in town—particularly if you like your Earl Grey heavy on the bergamot—and has a unique taste due to the fact that it includes Darjeeling as well as the traditional Keemun that is used for most Earl Greys.
Murchie's also offers a number of single-variety teas (Keemun, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Assam) which are generally of high quality, and there are now also green teas and even oolongs on offer. Tea is sold loose and in bags.
Recommended teas: No 10 Blend, Prince Charles Blend, Murchie’s Earl Grey
Locations:
Vancouver - Downtown
825 Pender Street West
Vancouver, BC V6C 1K6
(604) 669-0783
Vancouver - Oakridge
41st and Cambie,
Vancouver, BC V5Z 3X7
Tel: 1-604-872-6930
West Vancouver - Park Royal
Park Royal Mall
850 Park Royal North,
West Vancouver, BC V7T 1H9
Tel: 1-604-922-3136
Surrey
Semiahmoo Shopping Centre
Unit 136-1711-152nd Street,
South Surrey, B.C. V4A 4N3
Tel: 1-604-541-1066
Victoria
1110 Government Street,
Victoria, BC V8W 1Y2
Tel: 1-250-383-3112
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