A Cup for Sharing
by Greta Perry
photography by Abby Sands Miller
The story you are about to read is real, non-fiction in every sense. It could easily be made into a movie or a novel and be told for generations to come as a story of inspiration, deciphered writing on the wall, familial history in a foreign land and an amazing man who is carrying on a tradition that would make any family proud. It is also a story that is not yet completed, as there is much more in store for John Demers on his journey with tea.
As a boy, John lived in Chicago, where he dreamed of someday doing make-up and hair for the stars. His mother, Helen, had an amazing influence on her son’s life, and, as any good boy would do, he listened to her and embedded her advice in his brain and heart. Helen was a hard worker and dream catcher. Whatever she wished to do, she did. (Later in life, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided to become a nursing supervisor, completing the required courses while simultaneously undergoing chemotherapy.) Nothing could hold her back—and nothing could hold John back, either.
Helen told John that doing make-up and hair to the stars was a wonderful dream, but that he needed to complete college first. After receiving a business degree from Loyola University in Chicago, John immediately set off to learn how to do hair and make-up at a beauty school. Fresh from school, he was hired to work for Neiman Marcus in Chicago as a hairdresser.
His talent and childhood-embedded work ethic got him noticed, and he became the head of the salon. Next, with his star appeal, he became a runway and fashion show organizer for Neiman Marcus. John’s connection to the elite was made—only special clients are privy to some of these shows, clients who know that the outfits they are purchasing will not be placed on the store racks for general consumer purchase. This position gave John the opportunity to travel around the world. However, the constant pace and inability to stay home for even a short time was making him less satisfied with his high-profile job and extensive collection of passport stamps. He asked for and was granted a transfer to Houston.
In a sad turn of events, his father’s mother passed away. John joined his parents in Massachusetts to give his support. While helping to sort through his grandmother’s belongings, John took the job of tackling her old trunks in the attic. In one of the trunks, he found six old parchment papers written in French. Thinking they were unique, he took them back to Houston, framed them and hung them in his living room. While his best friend was visiting, she was amused by the letters, as she was currently studying French. She realized that they were some type of beverage recipe and urged John to move them to the dining room or kitchen for proper placement. After several visits, his friend determined that the parchment contained recipes for tea.
Curious about the recipes, John called his father to ask if he knew anything about them—and unlocked the door to his familial history in France. His father told him that his family had owned a tea farm, the DéMurs Estate in Suaxe, France since 1856, and that it was still a working farm where relatives (whom John now calls “his aunt and uncle”) lived. John’s father added that every year he receives dividends from the farm and has traveled to France in the past for meetings related to it. When John heard this news, he was in the middle of “Silver Trunk Show” at Neiman Marcus, a significant event for the store. Nevertheless, he approached his boss and said he was immediately leaving for France for three weeks.
During his journey in 2000, John was introduced to the family tea business. He learned everything his brain could take in about fine tea. His “aunt and uncle” took him all over France to sample teas and teach him about the art of tea making. He left France with the passed-down family knowledge, the private label recipes and enough tea for him to play with when he returned home. Over the next year, John never officially quit his job—quitting wasn’t something he did. Instead, he took leave to travel around the United States, take tea-brewing courses in New Jersey and San Francisco and learn everything there is to know about tea and how to blend it. He read tea journals veraciously and sampled the various teas in teahouses across the country.
During his departures from Neiman Marcus, John did not earn a paycheck. After a year of being a “guest” employee for his employer of 11 years, John parted ways with the company. His heart was no longer in his work there, but in his newest passion, tea.
John peddled his tea to the local bed-and-breakfasts, high-end gift shops and to anyone that fit the tea-clientele model. He was excited about educating the world about the benefits of tea, and gave demonstrations on fine tea in exchange for the purchase of some jars. The tea purchases and John’s amazing people skills and enthusiasm in Houston made his first year very successful. He grossed over $200,000 and decided to buy a warehouse north of Atlanta to make and distribute his tea. The Eiffel tower became the trademark of “DéMurs Fine Teas.” (The business name reflects the original spelling of the family name.) After 9-11, John’s patriotism shined, and he felt having the Eiffel Tower was an insult to the American people. He changed the trademark to the DéMurs Estate crest, the fleur de lis.
During a trade show in Atlanta, John met a Covington resident who told him that he should visit the northshore and check it out, as it offered a better quality of life. At the time, John was experiencing a disappointment, as his deal to get his tea into Williams-Sonoma was not going as planned. He was becoming restless in Atlanta and felt he needed a change again.
John had never been to Louisiana, but he was immediately attracted to the people, the Covington region, the way of life. He was also drawn by the ubiquitous use of his family symbol, the fleur de lis, in the area. He became a true Southerner in just one short visit. After returning to Atlanta, selling his townhouse and emptying his warehouse, John returned to Covington in the fall of 2006. He began running a tea booth at the Mandeville Farmer’s Market to share his love of tea with the residents.
During the five years prior to his moving to Covington, John’s mother fought breast cancer. As a gift to her, during her battle with the illness, John blended a special tea, Helen’s Select White Peony, based on her favorite white tea and her favorite flower. He put a pink ribbon for Breast Cancer Hope on the jar, and began to think how his tea could help others with the disease.
Seeking more information about breast cancer options in the area, John made an immediate connection with St. Tammany Parish Hospital. He was amazed to find that they were one of the few hospitals that tracked their breast cancer patients from the day they walked in to the day they died. John felt so strongly about the hospital’s approach to breast cancer that he wanted to become permanently affiliated with what he considers should be a model across the country. He has committed a portion of his proceeds from Helen’s Select White Peony Tea to the St. Tammany Hospital Foundation forever.
John has already impacted his new community by making his connection with the Foundation. Soon his teas will be on the shelves at local grocery stores and his new warehouse will be up and running, with a tea sampling room inside. The plans are for his teas to be in Williams-Sonoma stores next year.
John Demers knows that with his heart and passion for tea, he can accomplish anything. He has captured the world in his tea strainer.
Editor’s Note: All of us at Inside Northside extend our condolences to Mr. Demers on the death of his mother, who passed away while this article was being prepared.
