Our Story

Some of life's most treasured memories are created around a table.

For Lisa, that journey began as a little girl in the kitchen with her mum, helping prepare for dinner parties. She fondly remembers filling delicate vol-au-vents and carefully arranging the hors d'oeuvres before family and friends arrived. It was in those moments, watching people gather over good food, conversation and laughter, that she first discovered the joy of bringing people together through hospitality.

That love was nurtured even further during regular family trips to Bowral with her mother and grandmother. Together they would spend leisurely afternoons enjoying tea and scones in charming tea rooms, surrounded by beautiful flowers, delicate china and quaint treasures. Those visits sparked a lifelong appreciation for slowing down, connecting with loved ones and finding joy in life's simple pleasures.

Hospitality has remained at the heart of Lisa's life ever since.

She and her mother went on to own their first café together, where Lisa welcomed customers while her mum worked in the kitchen. Together they later operated a restaurant on Sydney's Northern Beaches before Lisa built a career working alongside respected Sydney chefs and in hotel management, including leadership roles with Peppers and Links House.

After spending several years overseas raising her family, Lisa returned to the Southern Highlands and, in 2020, opened Vudu Food Bar in Bowral. Over the following years, Vudu became a much-loved local café, known for its exceptional coffee, delicious food and genuine hospitality.

Today, Highlands Tea Company is the natural evolution of that journey.

Inspired by those cherished childhood memories and shaped by decades of hospitality experience, Highlands Tea Company has been thoughtfully created as a place where people can slow down, reconnect and create memories of their own.

Whether you're joining us for exceptional coffee, premium loose-leaf teas blended on-site, homemade soups, fresh sandwiches and light lunches, our signature Rose  and Lavender Scones, or a beautifully curated high tea experience, you'll always be welcomed with the same warmth and hospitality that has become Lisa's hallmark.

We hope every visit to Highlands Tea Company leaves you with the same feeling that inspired it all – a warm welcome and the simple pleasure of sharing good food, beautiful tea and time with the people who matter most.