just add honey – The Perfect Blend

There’s a lot that goes into the branding of a business. Anyone who’s gone through the branding process, likely employing the assistance of a graphic designer, will certainly walk away with a newfound awareness and appreciation of font names and Pantone colors. There’s something particularly special about the branding of Charm Partner just add honey, however. You see, the “J” in just add honey is the catalyst for its owner, Brandi Shelton, turning a hobby into a thriving local business.

The just add honey “J” is much more than a letter – it’s a symbol. Brandi lost her mother to breast cancer in 2005. Her mother, Jean, signed her name with the “J” that adorns each container of Brandi’s specially blended teas. Describing her mother as the B. Smith or Martha Stewart of their family, Brandi chose to use the “J” in her branding so that she’d have a part of her mother with her wherever she went.

Brandi moved to Atlanta from her native New Orleans during the week of the 1996 Olympics – the same week her husband made his way here from Massachusetts, though they’d not meet for four years. Although she earned a degree in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech, it was during Brandi’s time as an exchange student in Europe that her interest in tea blossomed. While there, she developed the hobby of blending different varieties of tea, which was continued after her return to the United States. Years later, those skills would be honed while attending courses at the Specialty Tea Institute. In fact, Brandi will be speaking at World Tea East in Atlanta this October.

June is National Iced Tea Month, and Brandi has been celebrating by introducing a new just add honey tea blend each week. The soon-to-be mother of three (the latest addition to the family arrives in July) currently has a pitcher containing a blend of berries! and mango rose in her fridge. Surely, your fridge could use the charm of just add honey tea. I’ve snagged Brandi’s sangria recipe for you – perfect for these warm summer days. You can find just add honey tea online, at many retail locations in Atlanta, including Charm Partners The Boxcar Grocer and Le Petit Marche, or being sipped through paper straws during a Charm Etiquette event!