LABOUR OF LOVE
A lawyer turned entrepreneur, Nana Chan expands her foray into tea with Plantation by Teakha
前律師Nana Chan在茶莊活現對品茶的多年熱愛與知識
Pursuing a passion can often require a leap of faith and a complete turnaround in life – as was the case with Taiwan-born Nana Chan, a former lawyer and long-time tea lover who founded the highly successful cafe Teakha in Sheung Wan, followed by craft tea company Plantation by Teakha in Sai Ying Pun.
“My penchant for tea was ignited when I was young,” recalls Nana. “Having a Taiwanese mother and a father who studied in the UK means that I’ve been surrounded by tea and cakes all my life. The traditional family ritual of serving afternoon tea makes a great impact. The beauty of it lies in the fact that families, friends and communities can come together to celebrate enduring memories.”
Though she reluctantly took her initial profession as a lawyer – at which, she humbly adds, she was merely average – Nana had always known that opening her own tea house would be her ultimate goal. The turning point finally came when she turned 30. “I hesitated for years due to pressure from family, and I also worried that with my lack of experience in hospitality, I would end up as a failure,” she says. “But I knew I had to make a change.”
Following the huge success of her first venture, Nana felt that a humble tea cafe would be the perfect entry point for the younger generations to learn more about the ancient beverage. She expanded her empire by launching Plantation by Teakha, which focuses
追尋夢想有可能徹底改變你原有的生活，實在需要放手一搏的勇氣和信念。對於本來任職律師、生於台灣的品茶愛好者Nana Chan來說也不例外：她在上環創辦了大受歡迎的茶家(teahka)後，後來選址西營盤成立手工茶葉公司茶莊(Plantation by teakha)。
「我自幼便對茶情有獨鍾。」Nana回憶說：「母親是位台灣人，父親在英國讀書，我的成長總有茶和蛋糕相伴。享用下午茶是我家傳統，對我影響深遠，而當中最美好的是可以讓家人、好友和鄰里相眾一刻，共同製造回憶。」她最初不太情願地選擇了律師這專業(更謙虛地表示自己的工作表現只屬不過不失)，但心中仍一直以開設自家茶室為終極目標。在她30歲那年，機會來了。「我背負著家人的期望，也擔心自己不熟悉飲食業而終告失敗，所以猶豫了好幾年；不過，我知道改變的時機已經來到。」接下來發生的事大家大概早已耳熟能詳。
茶家的成功讓Nana想到，開設茶館是讓年青人接觸這種傳統味道的最佳入門途徑。於是決定擴展業務，創立只專注於茶葉藝術的茶莊。「我創辦茶家是希望結合賓至如歸的感覺和我小時候與家人同享下午茶的童年回憶，這也讓
solely on the art of tea. “When I opened Teakha, I wanted to combine an inviting ambience and my childhood memories of having afternoon tea with family,” she says. “It’s also easier for me to reach out to young people and evoke their sensation in tea. The concept went so well that I managed to gather an audience and tell more stories with the establishment of Plantation by Teakha. At Teakha, you’re welcome to sit back and enjoy a good cup of masala chai, but that’s it. You may not be aware of how it’s grown or brewed. And that’s the void I aim to fill with Plantation by Teakha.”
The tea enthusiast shows no sign of slowing down with an ever-growing business under her belt as she makes trips to India, China and Taiwan to hand-pick tea selections and special teaware. “I make personal visits to all the plantations I source tea from,” she says. “It’s crucial to understand how they are grown and the local culture of their origins. I’ve also learnt from the experts in India on brewing masala tea.”
While the possibilities for expansion are unlimited, Nana has set her sights next on becoming an author, with her first publication featuring an assortment of tea stories she has encountered throughout the journey. After all, this is what the storyteller enjoys doing most. //
我較容易接觸到年輕人，引起他們對品茶的興趣。這個概念的效果不錯，在我成立茶莊的同時聚集到一班聽眾，分享更多有關茶的故事。在茶家，我們很歡迎你來閒坐，品嚐一杯香濃的印度香料奶茶；但你不會了解到茶葉的栽種或釀製。我希望茶莊能填補這片空白。」
這位愛茶之士並未有停下腳步的打算，除了營運不斷增長的業務，還堅持前往印度、中國和台灣，親自採摘茶葉和搜購特色茶具。「我拜訪過所有購入茶葉的茶園，了解每種茶葉的種植方式和其產地的地道文化。我也從印度專家身上學到不少有關釀製印度香料奶茶的知識。」業務擴展的可能雖然無限，但Nana決意專注於首本「傑作」，記載自己一路以來遇上各個跟茶有關的故事。畢竟，這才是說故事的人最希望醉心埋首的熱情。//