Over a cup of tea, we had a chat with Mayokun Braithwaite, founder and owner of a local Nigerian tea brand known as Tii Tea – the Yoruba enunciation for the English word ‘Tea’.  Mayokun tells Foodie in Lagos about her and her family’s love for tea and how it influenced her decision to start her own organically sourced and carefully crafted flavours.  

Tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Mayokun Braithwaite and I’m a Lawyer and consultant. I’ve always loved tea, but I started brewing casually last year and it became a more serious venture during the lockdown due to COVID-19. 

When did you become particularly interested in Tea? 

I grew up with it because my mom is obsessed with tea, so we were always drinking tea.  It was a way of life for us while growing up, and I just continued in that habit. As I grew up, I started to explore different types of tea, because my mom’s preferences are limited. My Grandma used to make a lot of herbal mixtures, she had home remedies for just about anything. So because of this, I developed an organic interest in herbs, so it gradually graduated into a passion of mine. 

That’s amazing. It’s fascinating how our childhood often informs our life paths. Tell us about Tii Tea, why it is special and different, and the motivation behind starting your local tea brand.

Like I said before, it was an organic passion that started from my childhood, my interest expanded and I started experimenting with flavours. When I decided to start making tea was during the lockdown, because I wasn’t really working; so it was just my husband and I at home. I started experimenting and brewing more. I sent some to my mom and sister and they both told me – on different occasions- to make it a business. I wasn’t really interested because it was more of a hobby for me. Plus, I didn’t know how receptive people will be to my tea. 

But they convinced me of the uniqueness of my blends and how different my flavours were and so I decided that I was going to do it. I just kept procrastinating until I suffered a personal loss and got depressed, frustrated and angry. I needed somewhere to channel all that anger, so I started playing around with flavours and recipes. I sent these teas out to friends, I had about 8 friends that were my testers, just to see the reception to the different flavours. I started out with about fifteen (15) different flavours which eventually narrowed down to nine (9), based on the reception each flavour received. 

When I was done with the recipes, I had to find a balance between the strength of the flavours because I personally like my tea really strong, so I had to do it in such a way that if you want your tea strong, you’d just brew it for longer. When I was done, I decided to push it out and test the reception of the product. I wasn’t going to do it, but after my loss, I needed somewhere to channel all that energy towards the brand, and then it took on a life of its own. 

You mentioned that you started just to see what people think. What has the reception been like? 

It’s been very good so far, I’m quite surprised. I didn’t think people will take to the brand so quickly. I thought I would be quietly pushing it for at least six months before it gets popular. But, for a brand I started on the 28th of September, which is just about two months old, it’s doing quite well. 

I got a review a few days ago that made me cry, this lady was praying for me and my business and that really meant a lot to me. 

Heartwarming. Did you have to attend a tea academy to learn how to do this or is it a natural talent? 

No, I didn’t. So, because my grandma – who learnt from her mother who was a natural healer – used to brew with herbs, I learnt from her. Also, because I was already interested in it, I used to read and study a lot about it. I even took a two-month course just to learn the basics.

Do you have plans to study to be a tea sommelier?

Yes, I do. I’m looking into schools in Kenya or India because they each have their own advantages. I’m still undecided, but I will know by next year. 

What sets the brand apart from other local tea makers?

I source for my tea from local farmers here in Nigeria, and about 80% of them are female farmers. The whole idea is to empower them, create job opportunities and easier avenues for them to supply more people and widen their customer base. That’s the idea behind the brand and our long term goal. 

That’s incredible. For a first-time tea taster, which of your teas would you recommend they try, and why?

My personal favourite is Gingerbread. It’s the perfect balance between sweet and spicy. The flavour is subtle but also pretty strong, so I think that tea contains the perfect balance between these components. So unless you’re allergic to ginger or anything spicy, I would recommend the Gingerbread blend. 

How do you create tea flavours?

I use freshly dried herbs, some of which I toast before blending into powder. Then I mix them with the base, which is black tea and then I bag them. I did some research and found out that most people actually like bagged tea. 

You have some traditionally Nigerian flavours, what was the inspiration behind those?

My mom and my sister recommended herbal flavours and suggested that I made it more authentically Nigerian so that more people can identify with it. Not all the herbs I use are purely native to Nigeria, like the Gingerbread, for instance. But some of them, like Ata, are purely Nigerian. 

How do you pick the particular Nigerian flavours you use?

This is the hard part; because it was a lot experimenting, and of course, of trial and error. There was a time I choked myself, I couldn’t enter my kitchen for 5 hours! I experimented with a lot of herbs and even my tastebuds went through a lot of stress trying to get the perfect blend. 

We know that you have the Wellness Teas and the Dessert Teas, are there any other particular types we should look out for?

I’m working on a few ones but it won’t be released till next year. I have quite a number of flavours already and I don’t want to overwhelm my customers. A particular one I’m working on that has Carrots in it, but I haven’t perfected the recipe yet. Hopefully, by next year, it will be ready. 

What foods pair best with the different flavours of  Tii Tea’s?

The Ekaaro tea, a morning/breakfast tea contains caffeine, so you can have it during breakfast and even lunch as well. From the feedback I’ve received, it contains some sort of appetite suppressant, so I guess it’s a good thing to have after meals, like say dinner. 

Then I’d say the Gingerbread tea is nice for in between meals, so for example; if you’re having a snack, it’s a nice tea to have as an accompaniment. The Strawberry Coco is best with dessert, you’d enjoy it more that way. 

The Spicy Mulled tea is great for unwinding when you want to relax and don’t want to drink wine or alcohol. It will help satisfy those cravings because it sort of tastes like mulled wine. It’s a very comforting tea. The Alé tea has Lavender and Camomile in it, which helps you relax.  If you’re feeling constipated or uncomfortable, the Ata tea is good for detox. 

The Energize tea is also the same, good for detox, but it’s also great as an iced tea. 

Describe what a great cup of tea is to you.

That’s a tough one lol! For me, a great cup of tea is one that I’m having on my couch, watching a good TV show that I love, with my blanket wrapped around me, and I’ve just eaten a piece of cake. Vanilla Sponge cake to be precise. It’s very specific. It gives me pure joy!

Haha! Sounds delightful. I really like the name of each blend, how did you decide what to name each flavour?

I wanted my teas to have a specific taste that reminded me of flavours that I like, so that’s where the inspiration came from. I make the teas before I come up with the recipes, which for most people is the other way round. So, for instance, I like Vanilla Sponge cake, and I was like I’d find a way to create a tea that tastes like that Vanilla Sponge Cake. In the beginning, it wasn’t for people, it was for me. So, maybe another difference between my brand and others, I thought about my needs and myself. I created teas that I would be happy and content with before pushing it out to the public and getting the general opinion about the flavours. 

That’s why I said I had more flavours before, but I selected the flavours we sell based on popularity. For instance, I have a flavour called Cinnamon Roll, but it’s not as popular as the rest, so I’ve decided that these particular flavours will be released as special or limited edition teas. 

The idea for me was to create a flavour of tea based on something I really like and then name it after I perfect it. 

That’s unusual, and also really cool. What is your best infusions or blends of tea?

Gingerbread. 

Is that the most popular blend?

No, the most popular is the Yoni tea. Then after that is Gingerbread. 

What is the one thing you’re most proud of?

The reception. It has been overwhelming. I didn’t expect this much patronage, the interest and support. 

What plans do you have for the brand?

I work with local farmers to source ingredients for my tea. My tea isn’t imported from Kenya or India, it is locally sourced from Mambilla in Taraba state.  The plan is to acquire some farms locally so that I can supply for myself and some other brands as well, and as I said before, create a larger platform for female farmers, and expand their customer base. 

We love the sound of that. Before we go, let’s play a this or that game

Tea or Coffee? Lol.  Tea

Pancakes or Crepe? Pancakes. 

Peanut butter or Nutella? Nutella

Cupcakes or cookies? Cupcakes

Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla. 

Tii Tea is available for sale and you can make your enquires via their Instagram Page

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