Bored by the lack of variety among Sweden’s most popular teas in the early 1980s, Vernon Mauris decided to experiment with his own blends. After a long and arduous day at work, one Sunday evening he sat in the office trying to find the right mix. But he seemed to have little luck, and accidentally dropped around a kilo of tea leaves on the floor. Upset and done for the day, he went home, leaving the pile as it was.
The next morning, one of his colleagues asked what should be done with the leaves on the floor, and Vernon said they could be thrown away. However, the colleague considered it a waste to discard such fine tea that had been transported from across the world, and kept the leaves that had not come into direct contact with the floor to brew and share with the team.
The drink turned out to taste exquisite! A cup was also brewed for Vernon, who immediately took a liking to the flavour and wondered what the blend was. When he heard it consisted of the ingredients he had dropped the night before, he was astonished and immediately began recreating the mix of tea leaves, which was later packaged and sold under the name “The Mistake Blend.”
A couple of months later, the local festival Horngatans dag was to be held. A journalist went around asking the street’s many galleries and shops what they would be showcasing or offering during the festival day. Vernon, surprised and unprepared, replied spontaneously, “We will be selling a special blend.”
“What is it called?” asked the journalist.
“Hmm… Söderblandning!”
Immediately, The Mistake Blend was renamed in tribute to Södermalm and even gained fame in the local newspaper. When the festival finally began, the mysterious blend quickly became so popular that it sold out before the day was over.
Today, Söderblandning is Sweden’s most popular tea blend and is also exported abroad in large quantities. It was the first of many acclaimed and unique blends created by The Tea Centre of Stockholm, and it marked the beginning of a strong demand for special blends from esteemed Swedish institutions such as Svenskt Tenn, the Royal Court, and the Nobel Foundation.
In addition to the Golden Blends that have become customer favourites and cornerstones of the product range, the creation of new and exciting blends for individual corporate clients is one of the company’s most sought-after services.
