Black Leaf Opens on Valley Street in Providence
Amber Jackson of Black Leaf, now located on Valley Street in Providence, has known food was her calling since she was just 12 years old. As a child she dreamed of being a chef but ultimately chose to study food science. Jackson holds several degrees including a bachelor’s in nutrition and food science, a master’s in food science, and is now working towards her master’s in gastronomy from Boston University. One day, she says, she may even go for her doctorate.
Not surprisingly, Edible Rhody covered Jackson and her small tea business three years ago with a cover story—right in the midst of the pandemic—but with Jackson, there is always more to uncover and dig into. In October of this year, she opened a first-ever storefront cafe on Valley Street on the west side of Providence. The calming interior includes shelves filled with her packaged teas and honey, several high top tables and a cozy reading corner. Throughout the day, customers drop in for a quick pick-me-up while others settle into the space for casual meetups or study sessions.
With this new space, Jackson is keeping with her vision of creating a place for Black folks to build community through social nights like a cookie decorating event this past weekend, and to access wellness in a way that is familiar to them.
Over the years, she has developed a total of 14 unique tea blends. When it comes to her process, Jackson still sticks with the classic pen and paper. She has a notebook filled with ideas from front to back, noting experiments and different flavor and ingredient combinations she has explored. Jackson explains that functionality is not her focus, though. She draws from her background in food science for her tea blends to ensure they are beneficial to the body and do not harm, but her main objective is to introduce a wide swath of flavors to her customers.
When asked about her personal favorite, she explained that it really depends on her mood. One of her go-to blends is CoCo Bae, a black tea base with decadent chocolate and coconut flakes sprinkled throughout. “The coconut oils come out when you steep it and it is just so velvety,” she says. An honorable mention is Tennessee Whiskey, another black tea blend with hints of apricot and vanilla, which finds inspiration from her family’s Southern heritage. Jackson notes that many of her teas can also be used in cocktails or mixed with spirits for a fun twist.
“Providence definitely grows on you as an owner of a small business,” Jackson says. “It’s a great community of small-business owners and there has never been a moment where I have reached out to neighbors and was ignored or denied.” She came to Providence for a job, intending to stay for only two years and now it has been six. With the new shop, Jackson is now managing the business full time, achieving the goal she set for Black Leaf when Edible Rhody first spoke to her in 2020.
52A Valley Street
Providence, RI 02909
F, 7:30 am–3 pm
Sa, 9 am–3 pm
Su, 9 am–3 pm
