A Summer in Rivesaltes, The Spark of a Creation
The story of this tea takes root in a radiant summer in the heart of the Pyrénées-Orientales. In Rivesaltes, where the orchards stretch as far as the eye can see, the apricot is king. Every year in July, the Apricot Festival celebrates this fiery-colored, juicy, tangy, and sun-kissed fruit. It's an unmissable event for Andréa, who, while strolling through the market among the stalls overflowing with ripe fruit, was struck by the intensity of these aromas and wanted to take them home with him. But not just in his suitcases: he dreamed of capturing them in a tea. A tea that would speak of those summer days spent with cousins having fun in the orchards.
A House, an Infusion, a Heritage
Indeed, every summer, Andrea returned to the old family home, perched on a hill on the outskirts of Perpignan. A building with a somewhat dormant charm, with faded blue shutters, nestled among fruit trees. As soon as she walked through the gate, the air was fragrant with lavender and the almost intoxicating scent of ripe, sweet, and vibrant apricots.
In the large kitchen with its walls bleached by time, her grandmother used to make a simple but unforgettable apricot jam. The aroma wafted through the house like a promise of comfort, and the children would sit on the terrace to enjoy their brioche toast, laughing, their bare feet on the sun-warmed flagstones.
Andrea never forgot this taste. And many years later, he used it as the raw material for a unique tea.
Back to the Sources
Returning to the village as an adult, Andrea brought his creation to the historic tea room, nestled in the village square, in the shade of the plane trees. The first tea lovers, seduced by its fruity sweetness and delicate depth, quickly made it their ritual. One sip, and everything came flooding back: summer light, childhood games, the scents of the South. Paired with the lemony sweets of the local pastry chef, the Apricot black tea revealed a gourmet and refined palette, faithful to its origins and open to sharing.
