General News: Village Woman Opens Tea Shop in Newburgh
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| Barbara Hembree welcomes people to her shop on the weekends with a free tea tasting. |
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| Carol Loggia and some of the teas served at the shop. |
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| Kim Jacobs (l) and Patty Bassak enjoy a cup of tea. |
September 26, 2011
A new tea shop is attracting a steady stream of customers since it opened in a storefront across from Washington’s Headquarters on Liberty Street last month. LiberTea is the creation of Barbara Hembree, of Cornwall-on-Hudson, who pulled out all the stops to chase her dream, calling on family and friends to renovate and run the cozy establishment.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, a half dozen customers were sipping tea and eating tasty scones that are the centerpiece of the shop that offers a wide variety of teas, pastries, panninis, soup, salad – and coffee, too. Patty Bassak and Kim Jacobs of Ossining came to Newburgh to visit Washington’s headquarters where the tea shop caught their eye and they came in for a tea break. Patty said that this was her first visit to the city of Newburgh, where they drove around to enjoy the river views .
Local residents have started to discover the shop, too, and Barbara said she is excited that more and more Newburgh people are coming in for a cup of tea or coffee in the morning.
Michael Gabor, who runs an art supply store nearby, held a fundraiser at the shop for supporters of his run for city council earlier this month. She also purchases scones from Megan Sneedan of Yummy Cupcake Café and cupcakes from Nicole Negron, who bakes in her home.
A Dream Tea Shop in Yellow and Blue
Barbara says that “the spirit led her” to Liberty Street, where she knew she could afford to realize the dream she first had when she lived in Ireland, where the afternoon tea is a cornerstone of daily activity. After leasing the shop in May, Barbara embarked on a renovation with her sister, Laura Keyes, who lives in Garrison, and a friend, Carol Loggia. Barbara’s two sons, John and Brian, both in their 20s, help out at the shop whenever they can.
Laura says that she serves as the shop’s stylist, selecting the warm pastel yellow and blue of the walls and counter and searching through antique and second-hand stores for the right piece of furniture to complete the interior’s cottage-style décor. An old jelly cabinet was transformed with paint and tastefully arranged tea towels. Framed paintings by local artist Thom Munterich and photography by Mary Hall line the walls.
The tea is the star at Libertea, with a selection of more than a dozen varieties including black teas, like organic Earl Grey, and caffeine-free brews of white currant and Rooibos Afrikana, a deliciously flavored tea that is good for your overall health. The shop sells tea in sachets and loose from the Irish company, Harney, which has an extensive collection of gourmet teas.
Acoustic Music on Friday Nights
To take the Irish spirit further, Barbara plans to start hosting monthly Full Moon Irish music concerts. She’ll start with music this coming Friday evening, September 30, with an open mike acoustic jam.
Barbara says she is excited by the response she has gotten to the tea and to the food. She has just printed up a new menu that includes tea sandwiches, including curry egg salad or apple and cheddar on a croissant, and this week, a pulled pork soup and French toast.
For now, Barbara says she is still growing – and is optimistic about the future. Verizon finally installed a phone last week and if you want to ring her up, the number is 527-5344. You can also find LiberTea on Facebook and a new website is in the works.
Comments:
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Best Of Luck Barbara !! Hope to come up for TEA soon !1 Karen Schaack
posted by Karen Schaack on 09/26/11 at 5:35 PM
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As I work right across the street at Washington's Headquarters, I'm at LiberTea almost every day. I can recommend it for healthful, flavorful, food at reasonable prices. Go try!
posted by Mel Johnson on 09/30/11 at 7:36 AM
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