Ants in your next cup of tea? A new concept from Kettle Town

MEDIA RELEASE

20/6/14

For immediate release

Kettle Town is a small tea company in Rosebery that has recently gained momentum selling its specialty gourmet teas. The concept of Kettle Town is to pair their flavoured teas with sweet desserts, in order to create interesting flavour combinations. However, this June to celebrate Sydney’s Good Food and Wine Show, the owners of Kettle Town have stepped outside their comfort zones to create an acquired taste for lovers of tea.

Calling their limited edition recipe ‘Strawberry Ant Hills’, the tea includes a small amount of edible critters. “For most the concept seems quite bizarre, but the tangy taste of the ants work to mimic the tartness of the strawberries for a more intense flavour”, said Vincent, co-founder of Kettle Town.

The ants are 100% edible and hygienic, and are bred by Skye Blackburn, owner of The Edible Bug shop. Skye combines her expertise in food science and invertebrate biology to offer everything from cockroaches, scorpions, worms and centipedes to anyone brave enough to eat them. The practice of eating bugs, scientifically known as entomophagy, is said to be an environmentally sustainable farming practice and a nutritious alternative to meat.

The practice of eating insects is certainly endorsed by culinary expert Kylie Kwong. Kwong has even incorporated Skye’s crickets and mealworms into the renowned menu at her Surry Hills Restaurant; Billy Kwong. “The crickets taste like dried shrimp or crispy fried shallots, while the mealworms have a mushroomy flavour” said Kwong.

The Kettle Town Tea brand was born after a couples’ quest to blend the perfect Chai tea resulted an obsession to create new and exciting flavour experiences. Co-founders Vincent Maneno and Lily Wang test their recipes sometimes over a hundred times to ensure that they release only the most aromatic of blends.

“We know that in order to excite the senses, it is just as important for tea to smell great as well as taste wonderful” said Vincent, a flavour enthusiast. “We only pair our teas with foods that will accentuate the flavour and aroma ” said Vincent.

Kettle Town now travels the local cafe and market scene in Sydney, pairing their tea with the inspired desserts of pastry chefs and bakers. They are stocked at Salt Meats Cheese store at the Grounds of Alexandria, The Sweet Spot Patisserie in Randwick, and a variety of local eateries and craft retailers in Sydney. Skye Blackburn will be selling her bugs, along with Kettle Town’s specialty tea from the 27th to the 29th of June at Sydney’s Good Food and Wine Show.

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Established in July of 2013, Kettle Town is small business located in Rosebery, Sydney. Kettle Town specialises in creating uniquely flavoured teas that can be paired to desserts. Please visit our website for more information. If you would like a sample of Strawberry Ant Hills, please contact Vincent Maneno or Georgia Heighway.

W  www.kettletown.com

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