Metta Chai

“Metta or Maitri is a Sanskrit word meaning benevolence, friendliness, goodwill and an interest in others.”

“That’s why I chose to call my business Metta. When you’re not feeling great, or knocked down, we’re here to help you send kindness out in the world.”

Step through the doors of Metta, and Charlotte Clarke will be there greeting you with a warm and welcoming energy, proffering a freshly brewed cup of fragrant chai.

“My husband is a chef and started making this magical chai blend for me - spicy and not too sweet. When we shared his chai with our friends, they asked him to blend chai for them too. That’s when we got the idea that we could take his unique recipe - full of honey, spices and black tea - and build a wholesale and retail chai business.”

“After a while, we decided we needed a separate workspace for the blending, brewing and packaging of the chai, and we found this shopfront in Errol Street.”

During Melbourne’s 2020 lockdowns, Charlotte faced challenges in getting the product out to cafes, so the chai startup evolved into a bricks-and-mortar store. She has lovingly curated her shop with teas, ceramics and lifestyle items, all framed around her philosophy of fostering the feeling: “may you be happy”.

“I was at the shop all the time, so I thought I might as well make it a beautiful space to be in!” laughs Charlotte.

Inside the store, you can buy the Metta chai blend (including a vegan version) as well as plants, beautifully handmade gifts, homewares, and personal products.

“Our products are all locally sourced, small batch and often crafted by hand by artisans. If it's not made locally, it's designed locally and made ethically.”

Charlotte and her husband are North Melbourne locals for over twenty years, so opening a shop front in the neighbourhood seemed only fitting.

“There are lots of interesting spaces and people doing interesting things in North Melbourne. Walking along Errol Street, we've always loved this shop and thought it was a beautiful little space when we were looking for a shopfront.”

“In the beginning, we just painted it, approaching it like a pop-up store that could evolve as we went along. Now it’s a permanent fixture and my happy place, surrounded by things that I love.”

The last few years have seen a trend towards the importance of self-care, and many of their customers come into the store or purchase online from Metta’s self-care products.

“These are uncertain times, and the cold of winter means people are purchasing more of the little things to treat themselves.”

“For instance, I love the Zoey and Zara lip glosses because they are locally made, organic, ethical and allergy conscious. They also give 5% of their profits to the Royal Women's Hospital.”

While Charlotte and her husband are still at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey, their vision is to continue making and curating an exquisite range of products that provide happiness and beauty to their customers.

Words by Joyce Watts & Photography by Anna Encio