Jennifer McIntyre and her daughter Emma are the founders of Uligan’s Uncovered, which is located at 57 Main St. in the Morrisburg Shopping Plaza. Tinkess Photo

MORRISBURG – What’s in a name? Quite a bit actually. You might wonder about the meaning behind the name Uligan’s Uncovered, an inviting tea and gift shop located at 57 Main St. in the Morrisburg Shopping Plaza.

A cursory search on the internet reveals that Uligan is one of the inhabited islands in the Maldives, about as close to heaven on earth as you can get, which is encouraging. Founder Jennifer McIntyre explains that in this case it was a nickname given to her by her manager during her time in the Canadian Armed Forces. “In her Indigenous language it means wolf. I have a big passion for wolves, and that was my maiden name as well. I didn’t want to offend anyone by using an Indigenous name, but it is also the name of an Island, but with a different spelling, so I went with that.”

Uligan’s Uncovered opened on Aug. 8, 2025, and specializes in loose leaf teas that are pure, free from additives, and displayed in simple packaging. McIntyre, who in partnership with her daughter Emma operates the business says that they look for high-quality, natural teas sourced directly from suppliers across Ontario. Variety is the name of the game, and you can find tea in a wide variety of flavours.

So, what was it that inspired McIntyre to open a Tea Shoppe? “Listening over the last two years, there were a lot of people that were wanting, a cafe, like a cafe to come and sit and everything else, to have crumpets. or biscuits or whatever,” said McIntyre. “So, I thought, well, I can’t do that, but I can bring loose leaf tea in specialty teas.

“Then when I first opened, there was a few customers that had come in and said, well, we don’t drink tea. We drink coffees, is there any way you could bring in coffee beans? I’m like, absolutely, we can look at that.”

Both mother and daughter share an appreciation for wellness, simplicity and that elusive overall feeling commonly described as wellness. When you think about a freshly brewed cup of tea, perhaps on a cold winter’s evening, those three traits are so close that you can almost reach out and touch them.

One question a non-tea drinker might have is why should they choose loose leaf tea over the tea bags you might find in a grocery store?

“That’s a very good question,” said McIntyre. “Loose leaf, because it’s generally more often organic, and it’s usually much fresher. As well, if you want to start getting into blending your own favourite, it gives you that ability to do so.”

If you’re interested in becoming a loose-leaf tea drinker, then Uligan’s Uncovered is a one-stop shop. They have everything you need to get started.

If you haven’t made tea your hot beverage of choice, don’t despair: In addition to prepackaged organic loose-leaf tea, they also offer Happy Goat coffee, both bean and ground varieties. And if you like something to go along with your drink, they sometimes have freshly baked treats from Amanda’s Country Bakery.

And if you’re looking for gift suggestions for someone, (or for yourself) Uligan’s Uncovered features a dynamic selection of curated gift and home decor accent pieces sure to capture your attention. They also have self-care items such as artisan soaps, and even fudge!

With Valentine’s Day this weekend, it might be a good time to stop by if you still need to do some shopping. “The teas, and some of the self-care type items as well as some of the other little treasures are 14 per cent off, and then our coffee, both ground and beans are 20 per cent off till Valentines Day,” said McIntyre.

Uligan’s Uncovered is closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can reach them via email at info.uligansuncovered@gmail.com.

You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram (Uligan’s Uncovered).

If you would like to have a light shined on your business, please contact us at: editor@etceterapublications.ca or call us at 613-448-2321.