Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
The Spice & Tea Exchange on Bay Street Brings Flavor to our Tables
story by WENDY NILSEN POLLITZER photos by SUSAN DELOACH
Heidi and Paul Ricard always dreamed of owning a small business. They just didn’t know what they’d sell, where they’d sell it, and when the opportunity would arise.
They moved from Atlanta eight years ago. Paul had a corporate job, and Heidi was a bookkeeper. When they retired here, they decided it was time to start looking at small business opportunities. Heidi studied herbalism for personal use and had an interest in healthier and more natural products. Then she and Paul began to discuss an herb shop/tearoom but kept hitting roadblocks.
The couple visited St. Augustine and stumbled upon The Spice & Tea Exchange. The gourmet store was just what they were looking for. They met with the franchisee in June 2020. After much research and an overall good feeling about the products and concept, they decided to sign the contract. They just needed to decide on a location. They knew Bay Street would be the perfect spot to attract tourists and locals alike. But nothing was for rent. So, they waited. They had the “what”…the possible “where”…but no idea of “when.”
Then, in the late summer 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a retail space located at 802A Bay Steet opened. Were they crazy to open a business during COVID? “Possibly,” Heidi smiles, “but we had to strike when the iron was hot.” She was right. Considered the most desirable retail real estate in Beaufort, Heidi knew that space wouldn’t last long.
As soon as they opened their doors, Heidi, Paul, and their daughter Leah, the store’s manager, had an immediate local following.
“It made me so happy when our local guests came in and said we needed a store like this,” Heidi says. “And those guests repeatedly came back every week.”
Heidi says that First Fridays are the best. “Don’t get me wrong…we love our tourists, but we really love engaging with our hometown guests who share what they did with their spices. I get so many ideas — combinations I’d never thought of!”
It’s apparent that Heidi and Paul are passionate about their products. They offer a wide array of spices, loose-leaf teas, seasoning blends, sugars, salts, wellness products, gift ideas, and more. Visitors are encouraged to freely explore the shop, open jars of fragrant spices, and receive helpful advice on flavors and cooking from their engaging staff.
When asked what she likes best about owning a small business, Heidi did not hesitate, “There’s always something to do. I’m either stocking shelves, printing labels, blending spices, talking to guests, serving tea, or putting gift packages together. It’s a lot of fun.”
And when she says blend, she means actually hand-mixing custom blends, like the spices I purchased. I used the rosemary basil sea salt on lamb chops that added a distinct and flavorful pine and woody flavor. And I added the mango habanero sugar in my daughter’s special salsa, which gave it a little kick.
I also purchased a custom gift set, complete with a recipe card and three different spices to make a backwoods beer dip. All I needed to do was mix the spices, and add milk, unsalted butter, flour, and cheddar cheese. Voila! I was invited to a party and asked to bring an appetizer. My friends loved it!
And lastly, but most enjoyed by me and my daughters…the apple cinnamon crisp sugar. We added it to our vanilla ice cream in the evening and combined it with our iced tea the following afternoon. If you want a taste of fall in this insane heat, I suggest adding this yummy sweetener to these favorites and more!
And that’s only a tiny sample of what they carry. They also feature a sample tea of the day and serve it to thirsty customers. In addition, they present limited-edition teas and candles once a quarter, including favorites like pumpkin spice, masala chai, and bourbon chestnut.
I asked Heidi what her favorite seasonings in the store are. “It’s hard to choose from so many options, but I am all about the espresso steak rub and the Tuscany spice blend. I use it in pasta, on chicken, on vegetables, in salad dressings. It’s very versatile.”
So…let’s say you’re not exactly the best cook, but want to try some new dishes out. The Spice & Tea Exchange has you covered! They share recipe cards with the specific ingredients and seasonings you need at reasonable prices. They carry recipes for beverages and cocktails, shakes and smoothies, dips and sauces, side dishes, snacks, appetizers, main dishes, sweets and desserts, slow cooker meals, and vegetarian fare. Your family will be impressed, and I bet you’ll return for more. And you’re supporting a local family, not a grocery store chain to boot.
In addition to seasonings, The Spice & Tea Exchange also sells wellness products that help with cold and flu symptoms, digestion, inflammation, metabolism, detox, and mindful and calming energy.
To date, The Spice & Tea Exchange has 82 stores nationwide. The company recently expanded into high-end mall markets. It launched a new line of Chef to Table™ meal kits designed with teen chef and Chopped Junior champion Danielle McNerney, available at the Beaufort location.
