This profile of Lake & Oak’s founder Meredith Youngson is part of Street Meet, FLEETSTREET’s series, where we meet up with trailblazers and thought leaders to deliver unique insight and inspiration into issues we all care about.
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There’s nothing like a hot cup of tea to take the edge off a stressful day. But if your tea collection is more blah than bliss, let me introduce you to Lake & Oak Tea Co. Founded by holistic nutritionist and best-selling author Meredith Youngson, this female-powered wellness brand is all about teas that taste good and make you feel good, too.
It all started when Youngson set out to tackle her anxiety and digestive issues with plant-based remedies. Armed with a love of natural medicine and a knack for crafting flavours, she brewed up Lake & Oak’s first blends in her kitchen. Then, in 2021, she quit her day job and committed to taking Lake and Oak from side hustle to big business.
Now, the brand is known for its clean, functional Superfood Teas and Latte Blends that skip the sugar and artificial fluff, letting the plants shine. Whether you’re looking to find balance, build a self-care ritual, or just sip something that makes your taste buds happy, Lake & Oak is serving up a tea moment you won’t forget. I spoke with the Youngson to get the tea.
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FLEETSTREET: Can you tell me a bit about how you got started?
Meredith Youngson: In 2018, I started my career, working at my dream job as a recipe developer in Toronto. I started experiencing debilitating anxiety that affected everything, from my digestion to sleep and relationships. With my background in nutrition and food, I felt inspired to take my mental health into my own hands and find a way to feel better. I was fascinated by herbs and how they have been used throughout history as nature’s medicine. I thought if I could create a super powerful tea that helped ease my stress and improve my sleep – and tasted delicious – how cool would that be?
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FS: Why tea? What inspired you to want to get into this type of business?
MY: The teas on the market at the time were either functional or flavourful, and I thought we deserved something better. Today, most teas, even high-quality ones, that use natural flavouring have tea bags made of plastic. Lake & Oak stands apart with delicious organic teas made with real food ingredients – like vanilla bean, goji berry, camu camu and ashwagandha – designed to make you feel amazing. We formulate every tea with a flavour-first perspective and pack it with amazing-for-you ingredients. I want you to enjoy every sip and do something great for your body and mind, too.
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FS: Can you tell me a little more about the company’s values?
MY: It’s plant-based, eco-friendly, mental health and philanthropy. We use real plant-based ingredients, whole foods and superfoods. No flavours. No tea dust. It’s eco-friendly. We use recyclable and reusable glass jars. We ship in paper recycled boxes, when possible. And our pouch lineup is transitioning to compostable this winter.
With my history with mental health, it’s important for me that our teas benefit our bodies and minds. We use stress-relieving adaptogens in most of our teas. We also give back to mental health initiatives, such as the CAMH (The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health).
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FS: What’s the biggest struggle you’ve faced in running your business?
MY: Initially, our struggle was standing apart from the thousands of other tea brands on the store shelf. We had to prove to our customers and store partners that we were worth their time and the gourmet price tag.
Luckily, we gained momentum with customers, loving our super flavourful and feel-good blends. We put our customers above all, adapting to their needs and wants, and that shows as we have repeat purchasers. Or, as we call them, our “tea babes.”
Now, though, the biggest struggle is scaling the business and expanding distribution at a healthy rate, without losing our minds and while keeping the lights on. We blend, pack and ship everything in our Hamilton, Ontario warehouse, so we feel every bump along the way.
New level, new challenge.