Tasmanian Tea Company’s Teahouse opening at Gardners Bay

By Roger Hanson
Source: weeklytimesnow.com.au


Tea for two: Terry Memory and Gemma Lynch-Memory. Picture: Luke Bowden

THE most southern industrial hemp farm in Australia heralds the new horizon of hemp-inspired food with a unique venture opening in a converted barn at Gardners Bay in southern Tasmania on Sunday.

Tasmanian Tea Company’s Teahouse, also the home of 13 Seeds Hemp Farm Store, is set to become a mecca for tea lovers, natural hemp-base skin care products and hemp-inspired food.

The converted barn, made from recycled wood, will also be a farm gate stall for organic produce from Terry Memory and his wife Gemma Lynch-Memory’s farm.

The couple, along with business partners Paul and Michelle Gilding, are forging a new frontier in hemp skincare products and hemp foods.

Tasmanian growers were celebrating last month when the health ministers’ forum finally endorsed the Food Standards Australia New Zealand recommendation to allow hemp to be legally designated as a food for human consumption in Australia. Hemp grown for food and fibre has low levels of psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinoids (THC) and it cannot be used as a drug.

“What we are doing is the result of a dream Terry had a decade ago. He didn’t let go of his dream, it took more than two years to jump through the hoops to grow industrial hemp on the farm, and now it’s reality,” Ms Lynch-Memory said.

“We are really excited to have landed the contact to supply our range of tea to the new luxury waterfront 114-room MACQ 01 hotel on Hunter St,” Ms Lynch-Memory said.

Mr Memory said hemp was a great health food with a wholesome nutty flavour.

On Sunday the pair will also launch an organic hemp porridge and Hemp and Green tea muesli. Next season they plan on boosting production to grow 10ha of industrial hemp. They are also looking to grow their own green tea on farmland around the teahouse.

Between the two couples they have nine children, so 13 members in the two families, resulting in the family business name of 13 Seeds Hemp Farm.

“All the children, even the youngest, five-year-old Emily, are involved in the business from planting seed to harvest of the hemp crop,” Ms Lynch-Memory said.

“They love to watch it grow and watch its progress, they are so enthusiastic at being part of both businesses.”

The families are committed to offering the tastiest, freshest and healthiest tea from Australia and around the world.

“We believe tea plays a vital role in healing,” Ms Lynch-Memory said.

The Tasmanian Tea Company sells leaf from their new Teahouse and online and the 13 Seeds Hemp Skin Care range and food products will be available there as well.