31st March, 2008: Tea-m Sports
What a great time of year it is! There’s so much going on in the sports world! The NCAA Men’s and Women’s basketball championships, Opening Day for many baseball teams and everyone is getting ready for the Master’s (I’m sure all the talk about the greens and tee’s at Augusta has everyone brewing up their favorite Bigelow Green Tea). I’m just a little out of sorts when I listened to the news about the 115,000 people attending the Dodger and Red Sox exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers relocating (I’m sure there are some New Yorkers who have another word for relocating) to Los Angeles and Joe Torre is the skipper of the Dodgers and not the Yankees. I had the pleasure of seeing Joe at a radio commercial recording before he left for California and as usual he was looking forward to the new challenges on the West Coast and the new baseball season. All of Joe’s friends at Bigelow wish him well and are glad he is part of the Bigelow Tea-m.
Bob
Posted by Bob at 4:44 pm | Comments (3)
31st March, 2008: Liv Tyler Inspires Tea Book
Good manners start young. No one knows this better than Dorothea Johnson, founder of the Protocol School of Washington and the grandmother of actress Liv Tyler (the daughter of Aerosmith musician Steve Tyler who is best known for her film work in Lord of the Rings and Stealing Beauty).
Johnson had already authored several books on tea and etiquette when she felt inspired to teach young people the finer graces of living. Based on her close relationship with her famous granddaughter, Liv, she came up with a picture book and etiquette manual titled, Children’s Tea & Etiquette: Brewing Good Manners in Young Minds. Published by Benjamin Press, the book covers a number of social graces, from the basics of saying “please” and “thank you,” to tea party table manners. It also touches upon the history of tea and includes a smattering of tea party recipes.
For more information about Johnson’s book, go here.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
28th March, 2008: What Your Tea Says About You
Is there a link between your tea preferences and your personality type? Some might argue there is. iVillage has introduced a light-hearted listing that attempts to identify personality traits based on a tea lover’s favored flavors.
Take, for example, Earl Grey fans. Like the delicate aroma of your favorite tea, your feelings are easily bruised, although you “thrive on positive criticism.”
Those who prefer fruit-flavored teas, however, are all about fun and frivolity. Still, even you have a need to unwind occasionally and then “relaxation becomes very important.”
Have a penchant for green tea? iVillage speculates that you are “at one with yourself.” And, if you enjoy your tea on ice, you “are the personification of reserved dignity, a perfect model of self-restraint and control.”
If these descriptions are not ringing true for you, don’t be surprised, because the listings are all in good fun. Still, like a good fortune cookie, there’s a bit of wisdom in every one. Like this sage advice for black tea drinkers, “Kick back and try going with the flow; you never know what you might see from this different perspective.” That’s good advice for all of us.
Not finding your favorite on the list? Read the full article here.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
26th March, 2008: Working in Tandem: Tea with Lemon
Contrary to this popular song’s refrain, “Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet but the fruit of the poor lemon…” poor lemon? Not quite! Lemon juice has been proven to boost green tea’s anti-oxidant properties by as much as 80%. More specifically, a study at Purdue University found that lemon juice caused green tea’s catechins, which display health promoting qualities, to remain in the body that much longer, inferring greater absorbtion. Following lemon, in terms of stabilizing power, were orange, lime and grapefruit juices. Although this study only examined green tea, the lead author and assistant professor of Food Science at Purdue University, Mario Ferruzzi, suspects that some of the results could apply to black tea as well.
Working in tandem…drink tea and lemon…to better your health!
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
25th March, 2008: Long Term Relationships Make Great Tea!
As a company we have very little turnover of employees, recently we looked and over 70% of our employees have 7 plus years with the company. Just last week we celebrated a person’s 30th anniversary with Bigelow Tea. In June we do have a plant manager who is retiring and so we are going through the process of interviewing for their replacement. Hiring is critical at all times and this position is even more so because of the impact they will have on the plant employees and culture.
To try and make the best possible selection the VP of Human Resources, the current Plant Manager and the VP of Manufacturing will go ahead and conduct the first round of interviews. Narrowing down the field we will bring the candidates back and have the plant management and a cross section from the hourly employees do a second round of interviews. After that the final group will go to corporate for another round of interviews with people from a variety of departments. Now this process is by no means perfect but hopefully by the end of that process we know the candidate inside and out and the candidate knows the company and our culture.
In the end hiring is always a gamble but we take the hiring process very seriously because for us it is a long term relationship!
Dean
Posted by Dean at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
25th March, 2008: GET RADICAL WITH GREEN TEA: Bigelow Tea Spotlights the Health Benefits of Green Tea this March in Celebration of National Nutrition Month
FAIRFIELD, Conn., February 2008 – This March, integrate a new component of your day: a cup of green tea. As the designated month for celebrating nutrition and the annual host of St. Patrick’s Day, March is the perfect time to reap the health benefits of this 3,000-year-old green beverage.
According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona, green tea increases the production of enzymes that are crucial in helping the body defend itself against toxic and cancer-causing compounds; this, in turn, helps to reduce the free radical damage that is often correlated with certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, a recent study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, provides substantiation that postmenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer who keep their diets rich in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant found in green tea, may be less at risk for mortality.
So, this month, indulge your senses healthily with a bit of green tea. Visit Bigelow Tea’s website for an array of Green Tea varieties. Choose from all natural flavors including mint, chai, pomegranate, mango, lemon, peach, jasmine and blueberry. Or, go for the original 100% certified organic Bigelow® Green Tea. Simply linger over a cup and you will see why Bigelow teas are like no other.
To shop for the specialty tea of your choice, check out Bigelow Tea’s website. While visiting, be sure to browse the tea facts, videos and recipes on Bigelow Tea’s blog.
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 best-known products is America’s number one specialty tea flavor – “Constant Comment® – flavored with a delicious blend of oranges and spice. It is available in black tea, green tea and decaffeinated versions.
Bigelow Tea products are available nationwide and every variety can be found on the company website (www.bigelowtea.com). Tea lovers will also enjoy the company’s blog (www.bigelowteablog.com).
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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 6:00 am | Comment (0)
24th March, 2008: Barbra Streisand Tea Memories
The little girl was called Sam and 30-some years ago she chanced into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, thanks to the antics of her older brother. Sam L. Lamp has recounted the tale for The Celebrity Cafe: she was invited to join Barbra Streisand for tea after her brother gave his tag-along sister the slip during play. “I remember her manager coming out and asking me if I wanted to have tea with ‘Barbie.’ Well, I thought he was talking about a doll not Ms. Streisand. He led me to the back and we sat and had tea and she was very sweet.”
What makes Miss Lamp’s tale especially interesting is knowing a little more about Streisand’s childhood. According to one celebrity site, in her youth, “Barbra found all sorts of ways to entertain herself while her mother buried herself in work. She played tea party and dress-up … [and] she spent hours singing in the halls of her apartment building.”
We’re glad to hear that Barbra continued her tea traditions into adulthood. And glad that she kept singing.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
21st March, 2008: Hippity Hop: Easter’s On Its Way…
What is the Easter bunny carrying this year? He’s bringing the Bigelow Easter Basket, filled with delectable treats and Bigelow Teas. Order today for your special someone. And for dinner, try the Glazed Ham with Constant Comment Orange Sauce. It is sure to please the palette of everyone at your Easter table. Hippity hop…Easter’s on it way…Yea!
Glazed Ham with Constant Comment® Orange Sauce
Ingredients:
2/3 cup (160mL) brown sugar
2 tablespoons (30mL) butter
12 Bigelow Constant Comment® Tea Bags
1 cup (250mL) hot water
½ cup (125mL) fresh orange juice
Zest of orange
1 teaspoon (5mL) ground cloves
1 - 6 to 8 pound (3 to 4kg) cooked ham
12 wholes cloves
Yield: Serves 12 - Prep Time: 10 minutes - Cook Time: 90-120 minutes.
Instructions:
Brew Constant Comment® tea bags in hot water. Discard the tea bags, squeezing to extract as much liquid as possible. Combine tea, brown sugar, butter, orange juice and zest with ground cloves in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 325ºF (170ºC). Using a sharp knife, score the fat on top of the ham into diamond shapes, then press the cloves, stem side down, into each diamond.
Place ham in shallow roasting pan. Brush the Constant Comment® Orange Glaze on the ham liberally. Roast the ham for about 15 minutes a pound, brushing two to three times during the cooking process.
Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before carving. Drizzle sliced ham with remaining sauce.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
20th March, 2008: Spring has Sprung
Spring is here! Can’t you just feel it? The days are longer, the sun is warmer and the smells are different. From a more esoteric perspective, this all happens because spring is considered the period of time from the vernal equinox, when day and night are equal (March 20) to the June solstice, the longest day of the year (June 21.) Yet, most of us just think of spring as the end of winter, when plants and flowers start to grow and bloom and new life is all around. Colors are brighter and the weather is warmer. As everything around you is changing and awakening with winter’s thaw, perhaps you are thinking about drinking a different type or flavor of tea? If so, we’d love to hear what your spring time tea is…
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
19th March, 2008: Black Tea May Reduce Risk of Parkinson’s
Drinking at least a cup of black tea a day may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by as much as 70% says a landmark study out of Singapore that suggests that consumption of black tea may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. What makes this new research so remarkable has been its extensive scope. A MediaCorp news article notes that the findings are based on a study of over 60,000 subjects over a period of 15 years!
Led, in part, by Dr. Koh Woon Puay of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in the National University of Singapore and Dr. Louis Tan, a neurologist at the National Neuroscience Institute, the study “scrutinized the lifestyle and dietary habits of more than 63,000 Chinese Singaporeans.” The researchers accounted for lifestyle factors and, according to Dr. Koh, “discovered that black tea contains ingredients, other than caffeine, that have protective effects.” (Earlier studies had already revealed beneficial effects from caffeine.)
While optimum consumption of tea was not determined, test results indicate that, on average, a daily cup of black tea reduces one’s risk of Parkinson’s by approximately 70 percent. By comparison, green tea seemingly had no effect on disease susceptibility. Continuing research will examine other potential factors associated with Parkinson’s.
A cup of black tea each day is all it takes…
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
