Today I went shopping for price comparisons. I chose two well established tea vendors to contrast the prices paid by Calgarians for Assamese black teas. Both Naked Leaf in Kensington and Tea Trader in Inglewood carry the same product.
For Assam Hattialli, the Naked Leaf charges $24.00 for 100 grams. The same tea at the Tea Trader is $18.00 for 125 grams.
The second tea was the Assam Banaspaty. Naked Leaf charges $14.00 for 100 grams of FOP Banaspaty (Flowery Orange Pekoe) and Tea Trader charges $12.00 for 125 grams of Banaspaty SFTGFOP1 (Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe). FOP is definitely a fine quality tea, nobody would fault it. However, SFTGFOP1 is the finest grade of Orange Pekoe tea.
I have tried the tea sold by both, the Hattialli is virtually the same quality at both stores, but the Banaspaty sold by Tea Trader edges out Naked Leaf both in quality and in quantity. Regardless, the FOP sold by Naked Leaf is still superb tea. It is spicy and sweet with moderate to full body that just coats your palate. The Tea Trader product is more pronounced as has more finese.
If you are pressed for time you will not go wrong at Naked Leaf, but if you can make it to Inglewood, there is more value for the money at Tea Trader, and better tea in the case of the Banaspaty.