We caught up with Su-Mari Hill, Co-Founder of iLOLA and Inventor of the Tea Disc to find out how she came up with this design.
As a lover of tea, I have to say there isn’t much in the way of game changing innovation. There is the usual rotunda of flavor changes, there was the introduction of a tea bag in the shape of a pyramid, cold tea in a bottle and recently tea that changes your water to blue or purple. Considering this is the second most consumed product in the world (behind water), there’s not much to really stop you in your steps.
However, that was exactly what happened to me when I walked past a booth of iLOLA’s new Tea Discs. I literally stopped at the booth and said to my friend next to me “Wait! Is that Tea?”. iLOLA is a new company that created a patented process of housing loose leaf tea into a ‘Disc’ using a cellulose binding. It is in the shape of a disc that you can pick up with your hand and drop into your tea pot or infuser. They even have a sleek Tea Traveller for taking your tea on the go.
I caught up with Su-Mari Hill, Co-Founder of iLOLA and inventor of the Tea Disc to find out how on earth she came up with this design.
Why I Invented the Tea Disc
“It was the smell of Rooibos filling early mornings in the farm kitchen that created this dream. Tea was never instant. It was an experience and something that has gotten lost in our rollercoaster days of businesses and decision making.
Opening a small tea store overlooking the ocean on the Sunshine Coast in Gibsons, BC, Canada, was probably an effort to re-create and offer others the experiences that only a cup of loose leaf tea can bring. But there were too many hurdles, too many unknowns. How much tea do I use? How long do I steep this for? The experience became cumbersome.
As a mother of 5 young children and actively involved in several companies, the desire for quality moments became more pressing. I am a foody, so every memory pivots around tastes and smells, and I wanted to make loose leaf easy. Here we have the most consumed beverage in the world after water and the best quality, loose leaf tea, was overshadowed by bags and instant pouches that offer a mere flicker of what this cup of tea could or should be.
That’s why I created the Tea Disc. Each disc is perfectly measured, weighed and handcrafted with a proprietary probiotic cellulose binding.
It is loose leaf tea simplified.”
Sometimes, it is the simplicity of a design or innovation that is inspiring. It’s the thought of ‘Why did no one think of doing this before?’, which in my case was ‘why did I not think of that?’. As a lover of loose leaf tea and the desire to escape and find my moments, admittedly not with 5 kids like Su-Mari, I am immediately drawn to this. The tea itself tastes amazing and my favorites so far are Royal Cream of Earl Grey and Sweet Cinnamon Chai. The Tea Discs are so easy to use and takes out the education needed surrounding how to use loose leaf tea. I don’t even think of using a tea bag anymore. This is definitely one of those finds that I’ve been telling everyone about and a conversation starter with all of my friends that come over for tea.