31st October, 2007: You Are Not Alone In Your Battle With Dust
Dust, such a simple word for such a big problem. Everyone has dust issues to deal with like dust bunnies under the bed, and dust on the TV screen, to more serious dust issues like those with allergies and asthma. Dust however is not just a home problem; manufacturing companies have dust issues as well. One well-known company that really has to protect against dust is the semiconductor industry, but companies like Bigelow Tea have big dust issues as well.
The dust we deal with comes mainly from moving the blended tea/herbs through our packaging process. As the product is packaged, smaller particles can get air born and then drift into areas we do not want it to. Tea dust creates friction on moving parts and when you are producing tea bags at 350 tea bags a minute, there are a lot of moving parts,
Our high-speed equipment does not react well to dust. Dust can cause friction on parts that are turning at high speeds and cause them to heat up and wear out sooner. Our electronic parts also prefer clean air to operate in. If we do not keep dust minimized then productivity can drop, reliability can drop and the quality of our product could suffer.
We have done several things over the years to minimize dust in our equipment and in the production room like installing vacuum ports to remove dust at the source, wiping down the equipment during the production run, and at the end of the week we disassemble the equipment to do a deep cleaning.
Bigelow spends a lot of time and money focusing on minimizing dust and removing it from our environment to keep our machines running, and our tea tasting its best. So next time you sit down and relax after fighting your dust issues, have a cup of tea and remember that you are not alone in your battle with dust.
Dean
Posted by Dean at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
30th October, 2007: Tea Drinkers Consume More Healthy Flavonoids
You may be drinking tea for the flavor, but your body is benefiting from the flavonoids.
Flavonoids are a type of antioxidant that helps prevent cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. They are found primarily in plant-based foods and beverages, like chocolate, wine and tea. According to results presented at the International Scientific Symposium on Tea & Human Health, tea is a major contributor of flavonoids in the American diet. In fact, tea drinkers consume over 20 times more of the healthy compound than non-tea drinkers.
In their recent study, Michigan State University researchers discovered that tea drinkers averaged nearly 700 mg flavonoids (approximately 5-and-a-half cups of tea) while non-tea drinkers averaged just 33 mg per day. “We found that just over 21 percent of U.S. adults drank tea and that the total flavonoid intake of tea consumers was more than 20 times higher than flavonoid consumption of non-tea drinkers,” explained lead researcher Won Song, Ph.D., R.D., Professor of Human Nutrition at Michigan State.
While the study stopped short of recommending consumption levels, symposium co-chair Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D. noted that “experimental and clinical studies like these are continuing to expand our knowledge about tea and human health.”
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
29th October, 2007: Tune In Tonight
The press is all abuzz saying that the Yankees are about to name a new manager and that Joe Torre will be on The David Letterman show Monday evening (October 29th). I’m sure Joe will be a terrific guest with many stories and insights into a wide variety of subjects. I just hope David Letterman will be the perfect host and offer Joe a cup of his favorite Bigelow Green Tea. I know I’ll tune in to see.
Bob
Posted by Bob at 2:30 pm | Comments (4)
29th October, 2007: Bigelow Tea Raises $60,000 for Men, Women and Children in Need!
Bigelow Tea is proud to announce that it has just hosted its 20th Annual Community Challenge fundraiser with the help of a host of enthusiastic volunteers, sponsors and participants. The event raised a record $60,000, the entirety of which will be distributed to thirteen local area charities. More than 1,000 strong took the “challenge” and participated in Kids’ Fun Run, 2-mile walk and 5K race.
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
26th October, 2007: Pepper Steaks and Tea Rolls, Recipes for the Season
Ingredients:
½ pound (250g) mushrooms, diced
4 medium carrots, julienned
1 ¼ cups (310mL) snow peas, stemmed, strings removed and very finely julienned
1 ¼ cup (310mL) bean sprouts
4 green onions, cut into thin slivers
16 large basil leaves
16 rice paper wrappers
3 cups (750mL) boiling water
10 Bigelow® Green Tea with Mint tea bags
Dipping Sauce:
½ cup (125mL) boiling water
6 Bigelow® Green Tea with Mint tea bags
½ cup (125mL) fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons (45mL) low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15mL) honey
1 tablespoon (15mL) Asian Chili Sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon (5mL) fresh ginger
2 green onions, minced
Instructions:
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, add mushrooms, carrots, snow peas and bean sprouts, blanch for 1 minute, and transfer to a paper towel. Have green onions and basil leaves prepared.
Boil 3 cups (750mL) water, add 10 tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Pour tea into a low sided casserole. Cool.
To assemble rolls, soak sheets of rice paper in tea for 1 minute, carefully transfer to a paper towel, let sit 1-2 minutes or until pliable.
To assemble each roll, take a soaked wrapper, arrange 1/16th of the vegetables in a row on top of the wrapper, roll up rice papper folding in flaps after first turn. Add one basil leaf, keep rolling. Continue until all the rolls are finished. The rolls will keep in the refrigerator for 6 hours, tightly covered. To serve cut in half on the diagonal and serve with dipping sauce.
To make sauce, pour boiling water over 6 tea bags, let steep five minutes, remove tea bags. Combine tea, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and green onions. Mix well and serve with wrappers.
Yield: Serves 8 (2 each) Prep Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 2 mins
Ingredients:
1 cup (250mL) boiling water
12 Bigelow® Pomegranate Pizzazz tea bags
3 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced in strips
2 tablespoons (30mL) olive oil
4 - 6oz. (168g) round steak, tenderized
Salt to taste
Dash of pepper
Pomegranate seeds for garnish (opitional)
Instructions:
Add tea bags to boiling water. Let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing well. Reserve.
Add olive oil to a heavy skillet, saute peppers until soft. Set aside.
Add steak to peppers and continue sauteing for about 5 minutes on each side or until done to your taste.
Place steaks on a warm plate, top with peppers, Keep warm.
Pour tea into hot skillet, add salt and pepper, stirring and scrapping brown pits from pan. Boil to reduce liquid to ½ cup (125mL). Pour sauce over steak and peppers. Serve with hot rice. Garnish with pomegranate seeds is desired.
Yield: Serves 4
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
24th October, 2007: To Hope for a Cure
Cooler weather is here…yeah. And so is hot tea season! It is great to see all the tea machines in full swing, packing off hundreds of thousands of teabags each day. We are so fortunate that the majority of our team on the production floor making the cases and cases of tea have been with us for over 7 years-some up to over 30 years! It is such a warm feeling watching the pallets of our tea getting loaded onto the trucks at our dock and then pulling out of our parking lot. Our tea is heading toward the store shelf and if we are lucky, it will find a home in your kitchen! I hope you are getting in the mood with this chilly weather to start steeping the water and then pouring yourself a good hot cup.
While you are enjoying the tea, let me draw your attention to that fact that it is National Breast Cancer Month. Let’s reflect on those that we know or don’t know and let’s collectively hope that a cure is on the way…that would be something to think about over a cup of Bigelow Tea!
Here’s to a cure,
Cindi Bigelow
Posted by Cindi at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
23rd October, 2007: Bigelow Tea’s Annual Community Challenge Celebrates its 20th Year
Racers, Families, and Local Not for Profits benefit from Bgelow Tea’s
Mission to support the community in which they live
Fairfield, CT, October 23, 2007 – Bigelow Tea is proud to announce that it has just hosted its 20th Annual Community Challenge fundraiser with the help of a host of enthusiastic volunteers, sponsors and participants. The event raised a record $60,000, the entirety of which will be distributed to thirteen local area charities. More than 1,000 strong took the “challenge” and participated in Kids’ Fun Run, 2-mile walk and 5K race.
The Community Challenge is the brainchild of Cindi Bigelow, President of Bigelow Tea. Two decades ago her goal was to reach out to the community in which her company is headquartered with a vision toward raising funds for local charities. Mission accomplished: this year’s event raised a sizeable amount of money, 20% more than last year!
As Cindi reflected, “I am inspired to think that what began as 50 runners raising $3,000 twenty years ago now attracts over 1,100 participants and raises $60,000. We have good family fun each year and are now able to help 13 Fairfield- and Bridgeport-based charities whose untiring efforts enrich the lives of women, children and families.”
The sponsored charities include: Fairfield Senior Center, Sandcastle Playground, Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, YMCA of Fairfield, Mercy Learning Center, Cardinal Shehan Center, Music and Art Center for Humanity, Center for Women & Families, Janus House, Connecticut Food Bank, Operation Hope, Burroughs Community Center, and Grasmere Eldercare Center.
About Bigelow Tea Company
Bigelow Tea was founded by Ruth Campbell Bigelow over 60 years ago in 1945. The company continues to be 100% family owned and managed by the Bigelow family with a special blend of pride and enthusiasm. Today the company is one of the nation’s leading producers of specialty teas, which includes more than 80 varieties of flavored, traditional, green, organic green, herbal, decaffeinated, and iced teas. One of Bigelow Tea’s most well-known products is America’s number one specialty tea flavor “Constant Comment®” which is flavored with a delicious blend of oranges and spice. It is available in both black and green tea versions.
Bigelow Tea products are available nationwide including mass merchandisers and health stores, and every variety can be found on the company website (www.bigelowtea.com), along with an appealing selection of tea chests, tea accessories and other gift items. Tea lovers will also enjoy the company’s blog (www.bigelowteablog.com).
PRESS CONTACT INFO:
Elizabeth April-Fritz
Bigelow Tea
203-334-1212
eafritz@rcbigelow.com
Valorie Luther
Creative Concepts
203.259.4202
vluther@creative-conceptsllc.com
Posted by Valorie at 8:09 pm | Comment (0)
23rd October, 2007: Joe Torre, A Friend and a Professional!
Ever since last Thursday I have been overcome by sadness and pride as I watched the Joe Torre and New York Yankee saga unfold. One thing is certain Joe Torre will always be a professional and conduct himself with grace and dignity in whatever path he chooses. Not only is Joe Torre a great friend of our company and the Bigelow family, but he made my job easier because he has always been a true professional in his relationship with Bigelow.
We can talk about his accomplishments but that has all been stated thousands of times already. I’d like to wish Joe and his family all the best in his future baseball endeavors and to let him know that all of his friends at Bigelow Tea applaud him as a friend and professional.
Bob
Posted by Bob at 6:00 am | Comments (4)
22nd October, 2007: An International Cup Of Tea
When Ruth Campbell Bigelow started making her now famous Constant Comment tea in New York City, she probably did not foresee that her business would grow to have such an impact on as many people or countries as it does. Most of our sales are in the United States but we have been growing our business in both Canada and Mexico. Over the last few years we have also been working harder on international business in the countries of: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panamá, Venezuela, Colombia, Perú, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Bermuda, Jamaica, Trinidad, Norway, India, Bangladesh, Dubai, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, and New Zealand.
Not only is our tea sold internationally, but we also procure equipment and supplies internationally. The manufacturer of our tea bagging machines for the last 20 years is located in Italy. Our filter paper comes from the same mill in England for the last 12 years and our unit boxes come from a company in Canada that we have been doing business with for over 10 years. Some supplies are found closer to home like the wire for staples is from Georgia and our over wrap is supplied by a company here in Connecticut, about 90 miles away. I am sure you know as well, that most of the tea does not come from the United States.
So as you are sipping that cup of tea think about all the people, and all the countries that work together to make that little cup of relaxation, and next time you travel internationally, maybe you will find a little cup of home being sold in the country you are visiting.
Dean
Posted by Dean at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
19th October, 2007: Share Your Tea Treats - October is National Dessert Month
Bigelow Tea wants to hear from you. Since October is National Dessert Month, what better time to share your favorite tea treats? Enter our Dessert Recipe Contest now. Email us your favorite dessert recipe(s) using at least one Bigelow Tea flavor. Then you will be eligible to win one of three great prizes: 1st Prize The Classic Tea Chest, 2nd Prize Rose Garden Cake Plate with Server Set and 3rd Prize Four Flavored Tea Chest. See contest rules for more information.
October is not just able Halloween treats, it’s about tea treats and desserts too.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
