30th June, 2008: Could Someone Please Hold My Tea?
Diddy Enjoying His Tea in a Whole New Way
Nothing is better than a good cup of tea, no matter what you are doing or where you are and at the recent Cannes Film Festival Diddy proved that when he was captured by photographers enjoying a cup in a
rather unique way. The good people of POPSUGAR provide us with a brief summary and an image of Diddy and his tea holder. Could “Personal Tea Holders” be the beginning of a whole new trend?
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27th June, 2008: Tea and Tour at the Huntington
Good news, tea lovers! Due to the growing popularity of your beverage of choice, tea can increasingly be enjoyed at some of your favorite travel destinations! One fantastic example is The Huntington in San Marino, California. This facility has it all: a library, art collections plus botanical gardens. The Huntington also boasts the Rose Garden Tea Room.
Relax as you enjoy your drink in the tea room, conveniently located in the newly opened Chinese garden. Traditional English tea tidbits (such as scones) are available as well, or you can order a heartier lunch item.
You might even consider a special “tea and tour.” And, if you enjoyed viewing the Mary Cassatt paintings that the Bigelow blog featured back in February you’ll want to add a stop to the museum section of The Huntington as they have one of the artist’s tea depictions on display. Please check the destination’s web site for hours and updated news: reservations are required for the Tea Room and the tour. And those wanting a peek at the Cassatt art will want to plan ahead for summer when the museum housing this painting re-opens.
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25th June, 2008: Teashops Take Root in Arizona
Glynis Legrand says she’s been “surprised to find out that there are so many closet tea drinkers.” Having recently opened the Urban Tea Loft – a tea shop, salon and restaurant – in Chandler Arizona, Legrand has joined the growing number of retail teashops arising in the American Southwest. Her story and those of other tea retailers in the area, recently came to light in an AZCentral.com news article.
Why the trend toward tea? One reason might be the health benefits. “With blended, flavored coffee drinks pushing 300 and 400 calories, switching to tea sometimes or all the time can be a way to watch the waistline,” article author Geri Koeppel notes.
Legrand seems to agree, “I think people are really looking for an alternative.”
With few calories, and an impressive list of health benefits, tea does provide a distinct choice. But consumers also enjoy variety in the styles of tea venues springing up. While Legrand and her husband’s business is “gender-neutral,” other area establishments might be described as having the feminine touch. Like Tealicious in Ahwatukee, Arizona, which features old-fashioned tea parties, or Tea Dreams in Gilbert, described as the “ultimate girls’ day out retreat.” Not your cup of tea? Try your luck at Tea Infusion Bar and Cafe which has the easygoing atmosphere of a “casual hangout.”
To learn more about these establishments, or to plan your own tea getaway, read the full news story here.
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25th June, 2008: Bigelow Tea Listens and Reacts! — Blog comments from loyal supporters help reinstate Fruit and Almond Tea
FAIRFIELD, Conn., June 2008 – As a great case study on how to listen to your customer through your corporate blog and website, Bigelow Tea (www.bigelowtea.com) has reinstated the widely loved Fruit and Almond Tea. After numerous comments came in from the blog and website begging for reconsideration on the decision to remove Fruit and Almond Tea from shelves, the company took note and agreed to offer the tea available only for purchase on their website.
A delicious caffeine-free herbal tea with a fresh, subtle blend of flavors including cinnamon, orange peel, rose hips, hibiscus flowers and roasted chicory root, Fruit and Almond Tea has become a consummate staple in the lives of many Bigelow Tea consumers. Incidentally, the company made the difficult decision to discontinue the flavor because some of the ingredients were hard to get in small quantities.
“Many of our faithful customers were concerned,” said Cindi Bigelow, President of Bigelow Tea. “In a company like Bigelow Tea, our customers are our foundation; we thrive because of their loyalty and it’s important for them to know that they come first.”
After listening to the passionate comments of the Fruit and Almond Tea fans, Cindi Bigelow, in true customer-driven fashion, announced on the Bigelow Tea blog that Fruit and Almond tea can be purchased through the website only.
In addition to the Fruit and Almond Tea, recipes, entertainment ideas, tea varieties and related products can be found on the Bigelow Tea website.
About Bigelow Tea Company
100 % family owned Fairfield, Conn.-based Bigelow Tea pioneered the specialty tea category more than 60 years ago. Bigelow takes pride in its heritage and successful growth from a one-product, entrepreneurial venture into America’s leading specialty tea company. The Bigelow Tea line includes more than 80 varieties of flavored, traditional, green, organic , herbal, decaffeinated teas and iced teas– including America’s number one specialty tea flavor, “Constant Comment®.” Also enjoy the Charleston Tea Plantation located on Wadmalaw Island just south of Charleston, South Carolina which is owned and operated by Bigelow Tea and produces American Classic Tea and products.
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 LizG at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
24th June, 2008: The Colorful Portland Tea Scene
According to a report published in the New York Times, Portland, Oregon “is host to one of the most distinctive tea scenes in the country.” The beverage (and the fun) is brewed in a number of distinctive tea houses as well as organized tea parties that don’t take themselves too seriously.
There are the typical chain tea businesses one might expect, but locally-owned venues have popped up as well, each catering to some very sophisticated tea tastes. One, Barefoot Sage, is tucked away in a building which looks suspiciously like a hardware store, but which comes alive inside with luxury. Patrons enjoy “tea blends … and recline on enormous plum-velvet sofas, [their] toes soaking in terra cotta basins filled with hot water and rose petals.”
At the other end of the spectrum is Tea Chai Té, a tea store where owner Dominic Valdes is “trying to take the doily out of the tea experience.” He’s not alone. Also taking tea into a new culture with less formal traditions is the TeaZone in Portland’s Pearl district which serves up a variety of tea cocktails with casual flair. Not to be out-done is entrepreneur, Gary Wiseman. Wiseman has gained a reputation for staging color-themed tea parties, such as the Emerald City tea party. His favorite, however, was an event on Burnside Bridge. He says, “The theme was black, white and shades of gray.” The tea was Earl Grey.
To learn more about Portland’s thriving tea scene and the entrepreneurs driving it, read the full Times article here.
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23rd June, 2008: Get Ready to Join the Worldwide Tea Party
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20th June, 2008: The Brown Betty
Today most of us steep our tea in microwave-safe mugs, but for a superior drink, many of yesteryear’s tea lovers relied on a particular teapot called the Brown Betty. According to an informational antiques web site, in the seventeenth century Brown Betty teapots were created from a special red clay that helped the pots retain heat. By the nineteenth century, these vessels had evolved in shape, morphing from tall, urn-like vessels to round, squatter teapots that allowed more flavor — and less bitterness – to be released into each potful of boiling water. It’s no wonder the plumper shape of the modern Brown Betty became popular, first gaining favor at the court of Queen Victoria.
Makers associated with the Brown Betty include Swinton Pottery which developed the brown glaze and streaked finish that came to be associated with the teapot.
If you’d like to obtain an authentic Brown Betty, heed a few words of warning. While the teapots can be found on the Internet and in retail stores, make sure the ware you’re considering has been handmade in the Old Caledonia Mills in Stoke-on-Trent and imported from England. Then, happy brewing!
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18th June, 2008: Improving Our Operation
This is the time when we approve major projects for the company. Every year we look at our current equipment, building, and process to see if there are major items we need to purchase to improve our operation. Each plant will identify, cost out, and recommend those projects that will help improve the process, reduce cost, or improve safety. Those projects are reviewed at the plant level and then passed on for review at the corporate level. The projects will range from; upgrading all the florescent lights from the low efficiency T8s to the new/more efficient T12s, new milling machine for part production, new printer for our cases, to air assisted lifts to reduce the amount of bending people do. You never really are sure what will be asked for but you do know it has been evaluated and justified.
The company/family has always taken a very proactive approach in keeping equipment upgraded and investing money back into the operation as one way to ensure we have a consistently reliable product and safe working conditions. This year we will spend almost a million dollars, not that we have to because things are broken but because for the long term it just makes sense. If you take the time to make those little adjustments along the way you never get the system out of balance.
Dean
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17th June, 2008: Evangeline Lilly Loves Her Tea
Did you know that Evangeline Lilly’s beverage of choice is tea? So much so that it is even listed as one of her “loves” on her ABC Bio. Nestled among a short-list of other favorite interests and activities, and then, as if to strengthen that one brief mention there are two face to face interviews that involve the preparation - by Lilly herself - and the partaking of a cup, for both the interviewer and the star. A process carefully described by Andrew Goldman in “Paradise Found”, an Elle magazine cover story dated May 2006; and touched on for a second time in, a Karen Tay interview for The Sunday Star Times at the end of season three in 2007.
Evangeline Lilly Out and About, Could That Be Tea?
Our appreciation goes out to Evangeline Lilly Fan.com for providing this image
Our appreciation goes out to all of the sites that are linked here for providing all of the information that has been used to compile this article
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16th June, 2008: An Extraordinary Bigelow Tea Year!
Well our year is coming to a close….and what a year it has been! Our official year end is June 30 so I might be slightly premature in sending out this entry BUT what a record year. We sold more teabags than ever before. Our older more established teas did well like “Constant Comment”, Earl Grey, Chamomile and Green but our new teas did gang busters as well. We feel so blessed in this company right now-we try and do the right thing every day-work hard, make great tea, be creative and stay focused….all I can say is it is great to see that the consumer noticed. The fact that we recently became the number one Specialty Tea Company in this country is not something we take lightly and it is only because of you all that we did it!! THANK YOU for an extraordinary year.
Cindi Bigelow, President
Posted by Cindi at 6:00 am | Comments (3)
