The Secret Garden Tea Company

What The Secret Garden Tea Company does

The Secret Garden Tea Company is a privately held, family-owned specialty teahouse and online tea retailer founded in 1995 in Vancouver, British Columbia, by co-owners and sister-in-laws Kathy Wyder and Erin Wyder. The business operates a single physical teahouse at 2138 W 40th Ave in Vancouver's Kerrisdale neighborhood, offering in-person High Tea dining (CAD $59 per adult, $42 per child, $75 per person for private party buyouts), a lunch menu, and a dedicated tea service (all teas $7 per person). A complementary Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce store (secretgardentea.com) ships loose-leaf teas, accessories, and gift cards across Canada, with free shipping on orders over CAD $100.

The product portfolio comprises approximately 22+ loose-leaf SKUs across four collections—Black Teas (including bestsellers Creamy Earl Grey, Buckingham Palace, and Secret Garden's Secret), Green Teas (Jasmine with Flowers, Sencha), Herbal Teas (Blue Angel, Ginger Lemongrass, Peppermint), and Rooibos Teas (Vanilla Rooibos, Creamy Caramel Rooibos)—supplemented by proprietary blends named after the founders' grandmothers. Technology is limited to a standard Shopify storefront with no proprietary platform features, API endpoints, or mobile applications. Distribution is a hybrid model: a single retail/dining flagship complemented by Canada-wide direct shipping, with geographic restrictions explicitly excluding the United States and international markets.

Revenue mechanics derive from four primary streams: in-person High Tea and lunch service (one-time per-visit transactions), online tea and accessory sales (transactional e-commerce with tiered unit pricing from ~$18 for 100g to $81 for 500g bulk), and physical/e-gift card sales (one-time stored-value purchases). The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, relying on organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), email newsletter capture with a $5 first-order incentive, and earned press coverage from Vancouver-area publications. The company has no external investors, no parent company, no disclosed headcount, and no reported financials; it has been recognized as Vancouver's #1 Teahouse by The Georgia Straight and operates a charitable product partnership with Avalon Recovery Society through its Avalon Blend tea.

Name

The Secret Garden Tea Company

Legal name

Secret Garden Tea Company

Website

https://secretgardentea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Secret Garden Tea Company is a family-owned Vancouver teahouse and online tea retailer, founded in 1995, offering in-person High Tea dining, lunch service, and Canada-wide e-commerce sales of approximately 22+ proprietary loose-leaf tea blends via a Shopify storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Tea Retail and Teahouse Services

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes (THAFADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Tea Shops (Loose-Leaf, Tea Bars) (THAFAKAD), Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty tea retail
• Teahouse dining
• High tea service
• Loose leaf tea
• Online tea shop

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. High Tea In-Person Dining: Revenue from High Tea service at physical teahouse location. Adults pay $59 per person, children (age 8 or younger) pay $42. Private party buyouts available at $75 per person.
2. Online Tea Shop Sales: Direct e-commerce sales of loose-leaf teas, tea accessories, and gift cards through Shopify-powered online store. Products shipped across Canada with free shipping on orders over $100.
3. Lunch and Beverage Service: Revenue from lunch menu items including sandwiches, salads, mimosas, desserts and baked goods consumed at the teahouse.
4. Gift Cards: E-gift cards and physical gift cards sold for use at teahouse or online orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Secret Garden Tea Company operates a Vancouver-based teahouse offering in-person High Tea dining, lunch service, and takeaway, complemented by a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store selling loose-leaf teas, tea accessories, and gift cards. Revenue is driven primarily by High Tea reservations (with adult, children's, and private buyout pricing), lunch and beverage service at the physical location, and nationwide shipping of curated tea blends across Canada.

Product overview

The Secret Garden Tea Company is a traditional teahouse and online tea retailer offering in-person High Tea dining experiences at their Vancouver location and a curated selection of loose-leaf teas for online purchase. The product portfolio includes four main tea collections: Black Teas (15 varieties including bestsellers like Creamy Earl Grey, Buckingham Palace, and Secret Garden's Secret), Green Teas (Jasmine with Flowers and Sencha), Herbal Teas (Blue Angel, Ginger Lemongrass, Peppermint), and Rooibos Teas (Vanilla Rooibos, Creamy Caramel Rooibos). The company also operates High Tea Service dining at $59 per person, Lunch Menu service, High Tea To Go takeout options, and sells Gift Cards (both physical and e-gift cards). The teas are available in various formats including loose-leaf (100g, 500g bulk), teabags (40 count, 200 count bulk), and 100g tins. Founded in 1995, the teahouse has been recognized as Vancouver's #1 Teahouse and Best Teahouse in Vancouver by The Georgia Straight.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High Tea Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Voted #1 Teahouse in Vancouver
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Avalon Recovery SocietyminorOthersCharitable partnership where a portion of proceeds from the Avalon Blend tea product is donated to the Avalon Recovery Society. The Avalon Blend is a proprietary tea created in honor of the Avalon Centre.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• David's Tea: Canadian specialty tea retailer offering loose-leaf teas, accessories, and tea-based products online and through retail stores. Directly comparable as a Canadian-headquartered DTC and physical retail tea brand competing for the same premium loose-leaf tea consumer.
• Steven Smith Teamaker: Premium small-batch tea brand operating a flagship teahouse/tasting room and DTC e-commerce for loose-leaf teas. Comparable as a founder-led, premium loose-leaf tea brand with both an experiential teahouse and online retail channels.
• Adagio Teas: Online specialty tea retailer offering loose-leaf teas, custom blending, and tea accessories primarily through DTC e-commerce. Comparable as a DTC-first specialty tea retailer with broad tea category coverage and proprietary/custom blend capabilities.
• Republic of Tea: Specialty tea brand selling loose-leaf and packaged teas, herbs, and tea accessories through DTC e-commerce and select retail. Comparable as a curated, premium loose-leaf tea DTC brand with proprietary blends and broad category coverage.
• Harney & Sons: Premium specialty tea company offering loose-leaf teas, tea sachets, and tea-related gifts via DTC e-commerce and a flagship retail location. Comparable as a premium tea brand with proprietary blends, online sales, and a flagship physical retail/teahouse presence.

Broad incumbents

• Mariage Frères: Historic French luxury tea brand operating tea salons, retail boutiques, and DTC sales of premium loose-leaf teas worldwide. Comparable as a high-end tea brand combining experiential tea salons with packaged tea retail.
• Fortnum & Mason: Iconic British luxury retailer with a flagship store offering in-store dining, afternoon tea service, and packaged teas/gifts. Comparable as a heritage brand combining a tea dining experience with packaged tea product sales and gift-oriented merchandise.
• TWG Tea: International luxury tea brand with branded tea salons and a global retail footprint offering high-end loose-leaf teas and tea dining experiences. Comparable as a premium teahouse and packaged tea brand in the same experiential + packaged good category.
• Twinings: Long-established global tea brand offering black, green, herbal, and specialty teas across grocery, foodservice, and DTC channels. Comparable as a broad incumbent tea brand competing in the same packaged tea category as the company's online retail line.

Regional players

• Steeped Tea: Canadian specialty tea company selling loose-leaf teas, accessories, and hosting in-home tea parties through a network of independent consultants. Comparable as a Canadian-headquartered specialty loose-leaf tea brand focused on direct selling and community-based tea experiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/secretgardentea
• Facebookfacebook.com/SecretGardenTeaCompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/secretgardentea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-secret-garden-tea-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Secret Garden Tea Company