Monday, June 20, 2016

T Stands For Spice Merchant (part 1)


Today we're headed to the east side of town

in order to visit The Spice Merchant.

It's been several years since I've been here, and I was anxious to visit again.

I couldn't help myself.  Just inside the door, I started taking photo after photo after photo.

This is one shop you can visit every day and find something new

and interesting, like these retro dishes, cups, and mugs.  Unfortunately the copper pot on the top shelf was not for sale.  Had it been, I might have asked Santa for an early Christmas present.

I had gone with my friend Sally to the doctor, then we came here because I wanted to buy some tea.  While she was buying spices, I was wandering the store, and first saw the coffee area, which included all the mugs.

Since I am first and foremost a coffee drinker, I thought I would start here.

The Spice Merchant buys green beans and roasts them on site.  You can watch them roast the coffee, but I didn't get a photo of the two roasters they have, probably because they weren't roasting while I was there.  When the beans are roasted, they put off the most magnificent scent, regardless of the roast. 

I've been told it takes a certain skill set to roast, and attention to detail is required.  It's an acquired skill that combines both art and science.  They also sell whole beans as well as ground coffee if you don't own your own grinder.  Containers of roasted beans are shown above.

Next week we will visit the spices section, where Sally went nuts and bought more spices than she will ever use.  The final visit will explore the tea area, where you will see what I purchased.

Now I've shared the first of my photos I took at The Spice Merchant, it's your turn to join this fun event by linking below.  Please be certain your link goes directly to your post, not your blog in general and please be sure you can, in some way, tie your post back to a drink of some kind, any kind.  Bleubeard wants to remind you that your photos may be taken at any time, not just on Tuesday, and not even this month, if you choose.  Once you link, Bleubeard and I, along with other T Stands For Tuesday participants will be by to visit.  As a group, we're really good at reciprocating.



If you missed last week's post, we are making ATCs for our third T Stands For Tuesday celebration on July 19.  If you chose to join us, you will add an asterisk (*) after your name on the day of the party and the next person who has an asterisk after her name will be the person you send your ATC to.  Any questions, please ask.

21 thoughtful remarks:

Valerie-Jael said...

What a wonderful place to visit, I would have liked to be there, too. My great uncle had a little warehouse for coffee and tea and used to roast the coffee in copper pans there, and so I got hooked on fresh coffee as a little girl....Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

Linda Kunsman said...

wowza-that looks like such an amazing place and I know I would be too tempted to spend too much! Love those vintage tins...
I can smell that fresh coffee now... mmmmm.
Looking forward to the next chapter of this outing. Happy T day!

My name is Erika. said...

Really interesting place Elizabeth. I'm not a coffee drinker but it still caught my interest. Can't wait to see the spice and then the tea sections. I'm waiting for the 19th-should be a lot of fun! Hugs-Erika

~*~Patty S said...

What a great place dedicated to so many interesting things.
The smell of coffee roasting is tantalizing for sure.
When I found out you were only supposed to keep spices for 6 months I was aghast! I break that rule fairly frequently but at least store my spices out of sunlight.
Looking forward to Part Deux :-)
Happy T Day oxo

Carol said...

I do believe I could get lost in that store and stay for days !Can't wait to see the spice section.

Sami said...

It looks like an exciting shop to visit.
I love those coffee tins, and even though I don't drink coffee I love the smell.

Krisha said...

What a wonderfully delightful place, and I bet it smelled of spices, tea and coffee....MMMMMM! I love finding places like this.

It has become a VERY busy summer, so I haven't posted to my blog at all!! I just dropped by to say hi to you and Bluebeard and friends. I do MISS T-days, but I don't have the time to repay visits, so I don't post......not quite fare to the T-gang.

Yes, there has been a lot of creativity with the GDs here 4 days a week.....LOL! I hope things will settle a little and I can share some of their work a little later.

Happy T-day!!

johanna said...

aah, what i like best are These vintage looking tin cans for coffee... i collected These for quite a Long time, but now i have no more space left for more.
have a great t-day and solstice, hope your summer is fine!
xox johanna

froebelsternchen said...

An AMAZING shop! Great! We have also some private coffee roaster shops in Vienna .. they are artists for sure - that's a very difficult process ! Happy T-Day Elizabeth and I am looking forward to see the spieces and the tea section!!!
oxo Susi

Meggymay said...

I think I would be a frequent visitor to this place as well. It looks a wonderful place to just browse and take in the aroma's. Loved the tins and cups, we have a couple of thermos flasks similar, will get a photo to show you soon. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of this Aladins cave of a store.
Yvonne xx
Happy Tuesday

Lisca said...

That looks like a great shop and the type of shop I would travel to visit. The smells must be amazing! Spices and coffee all mixed up. I can't begin to imagine.
I love those biscuit tines with retro images on them. I have a few myself and could not help buying them. They are still wrapped as I don't quite know where to put them...
Looking forward to the spicy part of your visit next week, as that would be my favorite rather than the coffee.
Happy T-Day,
Blessings,
Lisca

pearshapedcrafting said...

What fabulous place this looks! I can almost smell the coffee! We go to a place in Kendal that sells tea and coffee and has a great little restaurant but it's nothing like Stokes Cafe and shop in Lincoln(my home town) where my Mum used to take us - an old Tudor building where she used to work as a teenager - the smell is incredible.
Going to see my brother in July so hope to get a visit in! Hugs, Chrisx

Darla said...

Now that's my kind of place! I can imaging spending quite a bit of time wandering the aisles. I enjoyed looking at all the displays and am very interested in seeing the spice section and finding out what your friend Sally took home with her.

Halle said...

WOW! I bet the scent is amazing in there. I think if I were along, I'd definitely buy all of my most used spices and chuck the ones I had at home. I went to use some onion powder the other day for the first time in forever...it was a solid mass in the container. Time to go through that cupboard again!

Divers and Sundry said...

What a cool place! I'd love to spend some time there, again and again ;)

Dianne said...

What a cool shop! Love the vintage style tins, coffee mugs, and the diner-style dishes. You guys go to such fun places...happy T day dear E! ♥

Karla B said...

What an amazing place!I'd love visit it. Our coffee is so different!Love, love your post!

Rita said...

Oh, I would have loved to be with you two! I don't think I could stay away from that place for years--LOL! ;)

Let's Art Journal said...

What a fantastic place! Wish we had smell-a-vision I bet it was amazing!I'm so looking forward to hearing about your next visit. Happy T Day! :-)

jinxxxygirl said...

Hi Elizabeth , I couldn't participate this week but i did manage to pop over and visit your post. What a lovely market. I agree about the smell of roasting coffee... Even my hubby likes the smell but he hates coffee..lol Happy Tday! Hope to see you next week. Hugs! deb

Jeanie said...

I want to go there. Drooling with every photo!

Thanks for coming by the Gypsy while I was gone. Trying to get caught up before I go again!