Judy Kale: Bountiful Pantry

Nine years ago, Judy Kale saw the opportunity to provide exceptionally good tea packaged in convenient bags. At the time, teas that were available in bags were simply not very good. If they were flavored, the flavoring was too heavy or chemical tasting. To solve this, Judy left her job at a management consulting firm, founded Nantucket Tea Traders, subsequently renamed Bountiful Pantry, and developed a tea whose taste profile includes a vibrant tea flavor. Several of her Nantucket teas use natural fruit flavorings and spices that complement and enhance the tea's inherent flavor.

Judy's company, Bountiful Pantry, located on Nantucket, is committed to fresh, satisfying products in unique packaging that represents important aspects of American history and culture. One of her specialty products sold at Massachusetts Bay Trading Co is Cranberry Harvest Tea, which blends the finest oriental black teas with cranberry and fruit essences.

Regarding life on the Massachusetts island, Judy says, "Nantucket is magic. We're in the middle of the ocean surrounded by history." Judy and her husband Paul are located in a house dating back to 1860 in the old historic district of town. As a Nantucket resident, Judy especially enjoys providing visitors with a high quality, local product that showcases the rich Nantucket history, including tea trading and whaling.

Over the years, the Bountiful Pantry product line has expanded from tea, coffee, and cocoa to cookies, biscuits, twists, and soups. The cold, foggy, windy winters of Nantucket motivated the development of a soup line. Judy worked with the food historian of Plimouth Plantation to insure the recipe would harken back to colonial times.

Paul is involved in the administrative and tasting part of the operation. According to Judy, "It's a tough duty, but someone has to do it!"