Mala McAlpin For the majority of day spas and many high end salons and clinics, offering tea to clients upon entry or after their spa treatments is an absolute must-have. However, depending on the format of your spa, what should be a relatively simple task can sometimes present its own set of challenges, especially when coupled with a back to back appointment schedule.
Perhaps the spa receptionist who is responsible for preparing the tea suddenly gets swamped with calls, purchases and post-treatment advice at the front counter? Or your therapists are all so occupied tending to their previous clients, homecare recommendations and room turnover that awaiting clients’ tea never has time to arrive?
Particularly for fussy or impatient clients, ordering a tea that arrives cold or worse, not at all, can be a major turn-off, as well as leaving a disappointing first impression on new clients, who will in most cases immediately assess the situation as disorganised. So if you’d like to add a little more consistency and ‘flow’ to your tea routine, here are some teapot and infuser options that are ideal for spas – you’ll never have to worry about serving cold tea again!
T2 Tsutsugata Hakeme Teapot
Made in Japan using traditional methods skilled craftsmen, this quaint teapot’s solid cast iron construction means your tea will stay piping hot for a lot longer than a conventional teapot. Available in pastel pink or green with an in-built diffuser, each pot serves roughly two cups of tea. No need to worry if your team is running short on time, this darling little pot will keep its brew at perfect drinking temperature even if kept waiting.
Teapot Warmers
Perhaps your team is so busy that it would simply be more efficient to prepare a batch of tea and keep it warm the entire day? While for some this may sound like a fantasy, but there is an easy and cost-efficient method of achieving this – a teapot warmer. Simply prepare a pot of tea, place on the stand, and light a tealight candle below. Your tea will stay hot as long as a flame is burning. Tea 
Tonic Stainless Steel Teapot Warmer is a lovely option to fit most regular teapots, or if you’d prefer a matching set, try the Adore Tea Glass Teapot & Warmer Set on for size.
Breville The Tea maker
Looking for something a little more hi-tech but still simple to use? This tea maker has all the bells and whistles you could possibly imagine! Perfect for the tea connoisseur, it has variable temperature settings for brewing different types of tea, a fully automatic basket that lowers tea leaves into water and back out again once the allotted steeping time has passed, plus a ‘keep warm’ function that keeps tea hot 60 minutes after it’s brewed. Your team can simply prepare tea once per hour as opposed to once per client, and have it ready and waiting to serve.
LG Bench Top Filtered Water Dispenser
Forget waiting for a kettle to boil, this instant water dispenser is the ultimate option for time-poor spas and clinics, and the ideal addition to self-serve tea stations. Options include ambient, hot and cold water at the touch of a button, with hot ranging from 40, 75 and 85 degrees. The dispenser uses tankless heating technology, removing the need for an internal hot water storage reservoir and in turn, saving precious energy. The design is also compact, sleek and elegant, available in white or silver, to suit any décor.
