the favorite blends and the history of Motorhome

It could be the dream of many. Paula Rufino and Esteban Cirino They lived in Buenos Aires, they worked in a dependency relationship In sales, marketing, customer service and also with own ventures. But at some point they began to think that they wanted a life more in contact with nature.

Paula’s mother was already living in Villa de Merlo, San Luisand that facilitated the choice of place.

“We loved from the beginning, but we had to face many fears,” says Paula.

The plan was to settle and, in the short term, find to work on what they knew. They sent “very nice CVS”, but did not come out as they thought.

So while they reorganized their ideas seeking to start with their own project, They took advantage of homemade sweets.

“A little unforeseen began, in this having spaces and time of higher quality. As part of a gameI started making sweets and inviting family and friends who at the same time began to want to take care and buy. There The idea of ​​doing it as a business in a more professional way arose”, Says Paula, although he says it was not the project they had in mind.

Their Jams began to be sold in the local market And they added Liquors and preserves while production – and demand – grew.

This movement prompted them to go a little further and Paula decided to specialize in the world of tea and herbssomething I had at hand in the nature that surrounded her.

“The tea brought it from Buenos Aires. For me It was always a ground cable And it is associated with homemade sweets, ”he says.

The thing is “The time to have tea” was a very special moment for her while living in Buenos Aires. It meant Share and entertain your friends“Surprise them with something rich.” And that is why on weekends they got together at home to snack in a relaxed way, but with everything prepared with care. “And there should always be a homemade sweet,” says Paula.

Thus, with the production of more advanced sweets, they incorporated what he liked so much. After train On the subject, the Blends of Ten (created more than 80 own and more than 50 for other brands), mixtures for mate, Mix of spices y sales special.

With the production in progress, the First House of Tento invite people to taste their products and listen to what they liked best or analyze what they took.

The tea roads, a family SME He advanced at a firm pace.

In 2019 they wanted to do a Radical change. They bought a motorhome and prepared to travel With your children.

“It was a great detachment exercisewe had been with the tea house for five years, we had expanded to rest And we came from seasons to work many hours and dedicate a lot of effort to entrepreneurship, ”recalls Paula while rescuing that they had always had the “I dream of traveling”.

So They sold the trade fundThey also sold many things from the house … but the plan did not go as they thought.

When it was time to leave, the pandemic arrived.

“We are waiting for a long time and try to undertake the trip several times, but Something always happened to us. Things happened to us that even rare to us, something always broke or some got sick and we could not start, ”says Paula.

They understood that “life was marking another way.”

With the confinement, the production started at home again and many contacted them with orders. The machinery, little by little, began to reactivate

“People needed consume things linked to well -being in the middle of the pandemic; There was a lot of stress, ”says Paula.

Located on Route 1 and the Mandarinos, in Carpintería (10 minutes of Merlo), opened in 2023 a New place to receive visitors With the name that identifies them, the tea roads.

Among the proposals to enjoy flavors and natural landscapes have aromatic and medicinal plants circuitsThey offer product tasting, sell production and can be accompanied with sweet and salty options.

“Have Many spaces abroada beautiful view of the mountains, a beautiful olive forest, a lavender plantation, a nursery of herbaceous and native plants. People can know each of the plants we use in our blends”, Explains Paula and adds that they have Guided visitswhich open every day (in high season, in the morning and afternoon; in low the tea/snack service it is provided only in the afternoon; for reports: locacaminosdelte.ar; on Instagram @loscaminosdelte).

All this can also be tasting in the tea house, with a letter that includes its blends, imported strands and bakery which occurs exclusively for those who visit the place.

One of the most famous blends is Flores del Vallewhich has a green tea base, herbs and flowers in the area. It is one of the star products: people prove it and take it to consume at home.

Another is called Flores del Bosque (“inspired by the place where we lived, is very fruitful,” says Paula) and also requested a lot of mountain breeze, a blend inspired by the mountains since he has ingredients such as eucalyptus and lemon. “Autumn sun is a blend inspired by this season of the year and sunny day … if there is something that represents this area of ​​Merlo is the sun and the days always cleared and beautiful“He explains.

They currently have More than 700 clients throughout the countrythey work with 15 employees, they certified as a country brand and They plan to open a franchise system and make their first export.

The Motorhome? They sold it to open the tea house.

But for Paula it is very important support entrepreneurs And that is why among its next objectives is to have an academy dedicated to people who seek to undertake, with accompaniment in the beginning, the organization, the promotion of products, etc.