T TOTALER, A HISTORY: part two, 2017-2021
With a new store in the Galeries, the Sunderlands are managing two shopfronts in both Newtown and the CBD. This new city location saw T Totaler’s profile rise again and lead to some interesting opportunities to explore.
2017 and 2018 was marked by a significant series of collaborations, including…
Aesop: inspired by T Totaler’s all Australian peppermint and native aniseed blend After Dinner Mint, Aesop commissioned the creation of a toothpaste to coincide with several launches.
Young Henry’s: the Newtown based brewery saw how T Totaler was pushing the limits of what tea can be and wanted in on the action. The result was the delicious and fragrant limited brew French Earl Grey IPA.
Mailer McGuire: the renowned kombucha specialist made use of T Totaler’s signature French Earl Grey for an award winning brew.
Rising Sun Workshop: the Newtown based ramen/motor cycle specialists sought T Totaler to craft a signature blend to accompany their ramen menu.
Momofuku: the two hatted Sydney location of the world famous Momofuku restaurant asked the Sunderlands to embody their menu in a tea - twice. The first was an umami kombu based infusion that accented the Japanese style the head chef was exploring at the time. The second was a blend centred around allspice and the menu’s Caribbean flavour.
Easter 2018 saw T Totaler in newspapers across Sydney for its innovative Golden Wattle Egg - a wattleseed custard creation served in a classic Easter egg. It was so popular that international’s software firm Atlassian ordered a staggering one thousand of them.
The winters of 2018 and 2019 featured the Chai Club, an experiment that explored the countless possibilities of spice blending. It was this period that lead to T Totaler’s extensive chai offerings stocked today.
All the while, T Totaler had two pop ups - one on Bondi in 2018 and another in the Rocks in 2019.
These years also saw T Totaler establish relationships with countless local ceramic artisans. Handmade and locally sourced ceramics has always been a focus - the Sunderlands not only consistently support local growers but local makers as well. Artists like Mukumono, Clay Fragments (Rina Bernabei) and so many others were and still are mainstays in T Totaler’s inventory.
With the chaos of 2020’s global pandemic and lockdowns, T Totaler’s doors remained open whenever possible but online trade became the focus as it did for many businesses. The loyal clientele, confined to their homes, remained steadfast in their commitment to T Totaler’s high quality tea. And thanks to them, the Galeries flagship remains open to this day. Unfortunately, the original Newtown shopfront didn’t make it and closed its doors in late 2021.
