Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about Sophron Notes?

Hello! I’m Diana. I run a small business called Sophron Notes with my partner. We sell a collection of loose leaf herbal teas online and at select stores, which are all handcrafted out of our own home.

What did you study and how did that lead you down the path of creating your own tea?

I’m currently doing my bachelor studies of naturopathy actually. But prior to this, I graduated from architectural design, and dabbled in some art & design projects for a period of time (which is also how I crossed paths with Tara haha). Around that time, I noticed some health issues that were quietly affecting my quality of life. Stress and fatigue were affecting my memory and often my mood, which aggravated some poor diet & lifestyle habits. I had a perpetual sugar and coffee addiction which I thought was okay to keep me going and manage productivity at the time.

But gradually, I noticed a lot of inflammation – allergic reactions and eczema flaring up more often and new food sensitivities I hadn’t had before. So, after going down a rabbit hole of research, I realised I wanted to find a more holistic and sustaining way of managing my wellbeing, amidst stresses in day-to-day life.

I was devoted towards living a holistic healthy life which led me to the path of studying naturopathy. What I love so far is how we learn all the available ways that natural medicine can be integrated in the everyday. Herbal infusions or tea is one of these ways. The beauty with tea is that it doesn’t matter how much or little you know about herbal medicine, anyone is able to enjoy tea and it's one of the easiest and most effective ways to have natural medicine. That's how Sophron Notes began – I took what I was learning to experiment and test, again and again, different herbal combinations to eventually arrive at a final blend I felt was balanced in taste, aroma and medicinal benefits.

Who or what inspired you the most? 

I think I’m often drawn to a particular attitude – I love seeing someone start an idea and aren’t fearful to see it evolve over time, even if it means making errors on the way, which is inevitable. I know that can sound cliché at times but I guess I’m inspired by a lot of people around me who emanate this.

Actually, there’s a late-night teahouse in LA, ‘Tea at Shiloh’ that I’ve not been to before. But it’s like an apothecary, late night café and community den all in one. The woman who runs it hosts a calendar of different workshops every month with her community (much like Maido – another inspo of mine) and it’s just so wholesome to see something like a teahouse offered as a social space after hours.

Apart from that, I’m very inspired by people I know. Emmie Rae, a friend who is now based in Tokyo, started an online studio called ‘The Daily Rest’ to share restorative yoga practices online just before lockdown. Now her studio has evolved along with her growing community – she also runs poetry workshops, soft business mentoring and retreats in countryside Japan, all within her studio.  Lastly, I gain constant motivation from my partner, his brother and friend Jacinto who run 108Warehouse. Within their own means, they’ve started out 5 years ago with an online store for just second-hand clothing but now have grown to a brick-and-mortar destination with their own apparel line, in-house coffee and a curation of independent brands.

You have such beautiful packaging, can you talk to us about the labels and the meanings behind the names?

Aw thank you! I really enjoy sketching the illustrations and each label design is inspired from a botanical ingredient or overall mood from the blends.

Sophron was our first blend. It's an Ancient Greek word that describes a sound or well-balanced spirit and is also the cornerstone for our tea brand story.

Selah is a Hebrew word that appears in the biblical Psalms. Its meaning is inconclusive, but many debate its meaning to ‘pause and listen.'

Hera is named after the Greek mythological legend that’s said to represent a protector of women, fertility.

Ceremony is our our ode to Spring and Summer.

How did you come up with the four blends and can you talk us through the intentions/benefits behind each one?

Usually I start with a medicinal theme I’ve thought about for some time. So with our first blend, I wanted a herbal tea that functions as a gentle and balanced alternative alongside coffee.

Interestingly, I notice that few herbal tea brands use true tea (Camellia sinensis) in their herbal blends. I didn’t want to exclude them in my exploration, since there is such a deep-rooted history and culture of tea in the East that inspires my work. So with that in mind, I was keen to form a blend around Japanese sencha. From a therapeutic point, because of its low caffeine content and natural calming compound, L-theanine. But from a culinary point, sencha is beautiful, delicate and has an extremely diverse flavour spectrum from bright, sweet all the way to robust and vegetal. I would repeatedly do sencha tastings with other nootropic herbs to find the right ones that complemented its flavour and medicinal profile, particularly for supporting brain function: so ginkgo leaf, gotu kola, lemon myrtle and spearmint was what I arrived at.

Selah was made to support deep sleep and rest, Hera supports immune function and Ceremony is a more playful blend that’s an ode to hojicha tea and the botanicals that remind us of Springtime.

Since I work with herbs in their loose leaf form, I also consider their visual and aroma harmony when combined. I find it fun to involve some artistic instinct, as much as I would with medicinal research in the process. It’s the harmony I strive for.

What do you hope people get out of drinking Sophron Notes tea?

I hope anyone who is able to try our teas can enjoy them just as they are intended – whether its medicinal qualities or simply for its flavours.

If you had to pick a favourite out of the four, which one would it be and why, and how do you like to drink it? (Hot or Cold)

Honestly, I love them all for different reasons! But currently, I'm enjoying a cold Sophron infusion in my afternoons as a pick-me-up. You can easily scoop a few tablespoons into a teapot with plain cold water, and let it infuse overnight in the fridge. The next day you'll have an iced batch to sip across the day. I find that you taste a more well-rounded flavour spectrum with cold infusions. With Sophron, the lemon myrtle and spearmint flavours really come out! 

Why is using majority organic ingredients where possible important to you?

As with any farming practice, organic herbs undergo a lot less processing than conventional farming methods. This means no pesticides or fertilisers and will have a gentler environmental impact and safer impact on our health. This also means the herbs can retain a richer nutritional quality and flavour, which impacts your final experience when enjoying the tea & its benefits.

Can you talk us through a daily ritual you have?

I juggle between 2 jobs, studying and this business, so no two days are the same for me! This is my personal morning ritual really sets the right tone for my day:

• I get up at around 7 to 7:30 and start with a full glass of water in the kitchen.
• I make a morning matcha. Along with the herbal teas, this is a favourite, non-negotiable part of my morning.
• Depending on how much time I have that morning, I’ll either fit in a 15-minute mat Pilates routine or a 5 minute stretch to warm up my body.
• Lastly before getting into the day, I find it helpful to scribble down any urgent tasks, brain dumps in my diary before the day gets ahead. On slower mornings, I try to indulge in a bit of inspiration from a magazines, book or a podcast!

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

The fear of doing something is almost always worse than just going for it.

Do you have any secret talents and if so, what are they?

I’m good with remembering numbers if that counts? Haha I remember all my debit and credit card numbers. Somehow, I can still recall my last mobile number from 4 years ago and our family landline number growing up (which no longer exists).

What is your guilty pleasure song or artist?

Omg I don't want to be guilty of this, but I’ve been listening to this K-pop girl group New Jeans on repeat. They are just so cute and fresh!

What are your top Sydney recommendations? (Eat, Drink, See, Do)

Eat – Spicy Joint Chinatown. It’s an institution. But can Marrickville Pork Roll also get a special mention?

Drink  – Golden Age Cinema Bar or Ms Cattea’s Tea Bar for our sober curious friends : )

See – Art Gallery of NSW. Take a walk around the Botanic Gardens next door while you can!

Do – Royal National Park. It gets less foot traffic than the Blue Mountains but there are so many beautiful small beaches and waterfalls.

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