About Us

My childhood was filled with too much noise, chatter, chores, and people. I grew up in a family of thirteen. Mom, ruled the roost while Dad read the paper to hide from the din. My five sisters, one brother, four cousins and I fairly fell over one another like a pile of puppies as we prepared for school, flowing out the door in a wave to catch the bus each morning, only to return home and fall in the door chattering about the boys on the bus or the latest book report while beginning preparations for dinner.

Conversation was usually driven by my older sisters until Mom would put a stop to all the chatter by pushing the little ones up the stairs to begin the evening baths. Our evenings would always wind down with my mother settling at the now-clean dining table with the daily paper and a cup of tea. While my mother was a loving, firm general in her manner of running a large family in a small house, this moment stood out in my mind. She was quiet, approachable, and soft. She smiled more, and when we each gave her a kiss goodnight, she smelled good.

As an adult I traveled the world as part of my job for 21 years. I grew to enjoy the pause that came for a nice hop cup of tea - or as we learned in Australia: a nice hot cuppa! When I had my family, I enjoyed regaling our son and daughter with stories of life on the road. We frequently ended our day with that hot cuppa. Our children came to enjoy, and ask for, a cup of their own. The question: "Shall I make a pot?" was always met with a "yes".

Soon, I began to realize the thread of tea that ran through my life. I bought a few books about tea to personally read and enjoy, and eventually went from reading about tea casually to doing concentrated research on history of tea, tea gardens, the types of tea with their origins and method of processing. This led to subscribing to Tea Time magazine which I poured over with great interest. My greatest satisfaction was when I was able to travel to Lexington, Kentucky to take a course in tea taught by Bruce Richardson of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas. Bruce and his wife Shelley were so warm and humble as they taught us all about tea and the art of running our own business. After the course, I came away with a diploma in tea.

Back home, my proud family gave me tea presents for the next few celebrations; Birthday, Christmas, and Anniversary. One significant present was the money to start Glasgow TeaWorks. My mother's maiden name was Glasgow, and my grandmother's married name was as well. I had learned about the history of tea in Scotland, and the oldest tea shops in Glasgow, Scotland, which are still being operated today, are called Glasgow Tea Rooms. Because tea had factored into everything I did, wherever I was and with whom, I figured tea was good in the living, and the working rooms of life.

So, I put all those thoughts and sentiments together on the long drive home from Lexington, Kentucky, and I called our little dream Glasgow TeaWorks.

Would you like a cuppa? I can make a pot!