Elmwood Inn Fine Teas - Danville, KY

The Traveling Tea Friends gathered in Kentucky for a tea themed adventure last month. One of the 'must see' destinations included a visit to Elmwood Inn Fine Teas in Danville. Elmwood Inn originally began as a tea room in 1990 operated by Bruce and Shelley Richardson. Although they closed the tea room, their contribution to the world of tea continues in the many cookbooks they have published, their speaking engagements around the country (including a program at Sweet Remembrances in 2005), and their retail/wholesale tea business.

Their upscale retail establishment offered an exciting tea tasting and shopping opportunity for our group of travelers. The upper walls exhibit the beautiful photography by Bruce Richardson which captures the many faces of tea and tea gardens around the world.



Lori and Phyllis at the tea tasting counter.



Linda, Shelley, Nancy, Bruce

We shopped, we tasted tea, we stopped for photographs, and we sat and listened as Bruce shared his stories about tea. We shopped some more, we admired the beautiful array of tea accoutrements including tea pots for brewing various types of teas. We peeked into the myriad collection of cookbooks and books published by Benjamin Press (a publishing company named after their son).




The gift shop offers a special area for tasting teas. Bruce shared about some rare Hawaiian tea he has for sale and also spoke about a Puerh cake he is holding until it ages. Our group enjoyed the selection of teas we sampled and the congenial welcome we received. Bruce shares his tea thoughts with his own blog, The Tea Maestro where he proclaims Tea is not a commodity. Tea is a lifestyle!





Angela, Maureen, Patty, Melissa, and Bruce