When most people think of Jose Feliciano, they think: “Christmas.” At Bigelow Tea, when we think of Jose Feliciano, we think: “friend.” Mr. Feliciano visited us in our Fairfield, Connecticut headquarters and chatted with Cindi Bigelow about everything from growing up in a large family to his feelings about Braille and, of course, how he wrote the incredibly popular holiday song, the indelible “Feliz Navidad.” We promised you we’d share the video of his visit, and here it is!

With his wonderful laugh and his warm personality, Jose charmed our employees. And, when it came to talking tea, he made everyone smile by explaining how much he enjoys sitting with his lovely wife Susan and sharing a cup of Constant Comment tea. We couldn’t be more pleased.

We’re so glad to know Jose and his family, and we hope he’ll come by and visit more often. In the meantime, we’ll continue to hum the sweet melody he strummed on his guitar while singing, “Bigelow Tea, Bigelow Tea. Nothing like a cup of Bigelow Tea…” That little ditty is, quite literally, music to our ears!

Photo via Whitehouse.gov

As tea lovers know, sharing a cup of tea is the essence of hospitality. Friends share tea to enjoy each other’s company, and tea ceremonies are an important part of many cultures. In addition, heads of state sip tea when conducting important business. It’s no wonder, then, that Michelle Obama has been drinking tea quite a bit as the First Lady of the United States.

Mrs. Obama participated in several high profile teas during her trip to Europe with the President in April of 2009. She had tea with Sarah Brown, wife of then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown during a visit to Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre, in west London. And, most memorably, the First Lady and President Obama also joined Queen Elizabeth II for tea in Buckingham Palace.

This May, Mrs. Obama hosted a Mother’s Day tea that was attended by notable political figures like Hillary Rodham Clinton and celebrities such as Cynthia Nixon…and of course for Mother’s Day, Mrs. Obama’s mother Marian Robinson. The menu included Earl Grey tea, cucumber-watercress sandwiches and blueberry scones with White House jam. Sounds divine!

Although we only have proof of Michelle Obama drinking tea in these highly publicized instances, we suspect she enjoys a cup at home too. After all, her husband, President Barack Obama, drinks it instead of coffee in the mornings.

Let’s all take a cue from Michelle Obama and share tea with others, even if it doesn’t happen to be the Queen of England. Sharing tea is a lovely tradition, whether you’re in the White House or home in your own house!

Image Via www.imdb.com

At Bigelow Tea we were saddened to learn of the passing of the actor, writer and legendary television/radio personality Art Linkletter, at the age of 97.  Mr. Linkletter was most well known for his long-running TV and radio shows, “People are Funny” and “House Party,” both of which ran from the 1940s until well into the 1960s.

And while we will all remember Art for his ad-libbing, laughter and his endearing way with children, Bigelow Tea also has fond memories of our professional association and his appreciation for our tea. Art was one of our first spokesmen, sharing with his radio listeners the virtues of Bigelow’s very first tea, Constant Comment.

As one publication, Telefood Magazine, stated in an article in the mid-60s, “Every week, coast to coast on his CBS Radio House Party, Art Linkletter is telling millions of his loyal fans about ‘Constant Comment’— Bigelow Tea’s famous blend of tea flavored with golden bits of orange rind and sweet spice.” We couldn’t have asked for a better spokesman.

Art was one of the first in an auspicious line of Bigelow Tea spokespersons that has included Joe Torre and, most recently, Wayne Gretzky, all giants in their fields like Art Linkletter was and, even more importantly, all great fans of Bigelow Tea. We send our sympathies to Art Linkletter’s family, and we bid our good friend a very fond farewell.

Photo via entertainmentwallpaper.com

Fans of NBC’s “The Office” know that some of the show’s best—and most hilarious — conversations occur in the office’s kitchen area. But did you ever notice that the kitchen is fully stocked with a wide variety of Bigelow Tea?

In a recent episode (original air date 5/6), Bigelow’s first tea, Constant Comment, made a prominent cameo when new cast character Gabe opened a cabinet in the kitchen while talking to Andy Bernard. During that same scene we could see other Bigelow teas scattered throughout the kitchen (on top of the microwave and in other parts of the cabinet). We spied Green Tea, Lemon Lift and Earl Grey, among others!

Screen Capture via nbc.com

We’ve heard from our customers that many “real” office kitchens out there are well stocked with Bigelow Tea too. (We know ours is!) So it makes perfect sense that the set designers on “The Office” would fill this Scranton, PA office with plenty of Bigelow Tea to help fuel the cast through their week!

The plentiful supply of tea in “The Office” kitchen, however, does lead us to wonder… which character is drinking which tea? Is Kelly (who can’t stop chatting), drinking Constant Comment? Could Pam, always calm and cuddly be drinking one of Bigelow’s herbal teas, like Cozy Chamomile? Does Ivy-Leaguer Andy insist on the classic Earl Grey? And what tea would Dwight drink? (Our guess is that he’d be writing a letter straight to Cindi Bigelow, demanding the immediate development of a new beet-based tea!)

And what Bigelow Teas would be the favorites of Angela, Kevin, Stanley and Michael…or any of the rest of this great cast of goofy characters? Let us know what you think!

Photos Courtesy of Dailymail.co.uk

“How come twenty four hours, baby sometimes seem to slip into days?
…A minute seems like a lifetime, baby when I feel this way
Sittin, lookin at the clock, time moves so slow
I’ve been watchin for the hands to move
Until I just can’t look no more”

~ “Tea for One”
(Led Zeppelin album, Presence)

Gone are the crazy days of the wild, over the top tours…Robert Plant, brilliant front man for the legendary rock band, Led Zeppelin, now favors simple and sublime pleasures of herbal tea as his back-stage libation of choice! This may come as a surprise to some, but not to us at Bigelow Tea. We know that a great cup of tea not only tastes delightful, but is also a great de-stressor loaded with anti-oxidants.

That being said, it is common knowledge that the British love their tea and this rockin’ Brit, with the long golden locks and unmistakable voice, is no exception. In fact, all the old boys of Led Zeppelin seem to concur. In their 2007 reunion concert, their backstage rider was sweet and simple: tea, coffee, and an ironing board!

Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page

Sadly for their fans, it’s unlikely that Led Zeppelin will reunite again anytime soon. However, Robert Plant will be hitting the road this summer on a 12-city tour with new venture, Band of Joy. Put on the kettle!

Meanwhile, we’ll leave you with some vintage Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, in mellow blues number “Tea for One.” The lyrics were inspired by the loneliness that tour-weary Robert Plant experienced, clinging to hot mugs of tea and honey alone in his hotel room.  So it’s true – Bigelow Tea rocks!

Image Courtesy of flickr.com

If you think vampires only drink blood, you’re dead (or undead?) wrong! One of the hottest vampires around has been spotted cheerfully sipping tea.

Robert Pattinson, best known as Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies, was photographed recently with a nice, warm mug of tea on the set of his upcoming film, Bel Ami. The period piece is shooting in London, and co-stars Uma Thurman, another enthusiastic tea-drinker highlighted by Bigelow Tea.

Pattinson probably needed some hot tea—English Teatime perhaps— to keep him warm during London’s nippy March weather.

As a tea-drinker and Brit, Pattinson, a native of London, is in good company. Many other tea-drinking celebrities, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham, have ties to the UK as well.

Look for Pattinson in his next Twilight film, Eclipse, which is set to open in June!

Image Courtesy of blogs.independent.ie

We’ve seen some talented singers featured on this blog before, like Lady GaGa, Jordin Sparks, and Joss Stone just to name a few. Now we can add the petite superstar with a powerful voice, Christina Aguilera! The photo (right) is from a recent trip she made to Ireland where she of course, took some time out for tea at the Matchabar Tea Emporium.

Aguilera made her mark on the world of music over a decade ago with her chart-topping self-titled album. At 5’2 Aguilera proves that great voices do come in small packages; when she was in her teens, she could reach the same musical notes as Whitney Houston. With those powerful pipes, it’s no surprise that Aguilera is a dedicated green tea drinker!

Plus, with all those also healthy antioxidants in her tea, perhaps the busy mom/wife/singer feels even more powerful while she’s jet-setting around the globe, or helping out with her many philanthropic causes.

If you’ve been missing her music, fear not, fans. Keep an eye (and both your ears) out for her upcoming album, Bionic!

Image Courtesy of faryneinhorn.wordpress.com

Whether you remember him best from Silver Spoons or were a fan of Arrested Development, there is no question that Jason Bateman has mastered the art of funny.

And with decades of prolific performance experience under his belt, the Hollywood comic actor has also tried (and succeeded) at playing the part of director as well. How does a multi-talent like Bateman quench his thirst?  With tea, of course!

In an interview with Best Life Magazine, Bateman wowed the interviewer with his talent and masculinity. And when it came time to order drinks, he chose a sweet tea.

We just love that macho guys in Hollywood and in the world of sports world proudly claim tea as their drink of choice!

We’ve written about plenty of male celeb tea drinkers. So, who has been your favorite so far?  Let us know!

Image Courtesy of beatlesource.com

“Sail me on a silver sun, for I know that I’m free Show me that I’m everywhere, and get me home for tea”

-  George Harrison

It’s no surprise that the Liverpool foursome known as The Beatles were huge tea fans. With tea references in their lyrics throughout their incredible years together as The Fab Four, they were for a time the world’s most notable tea ambassadors! As in the line above from the 1967 song, It’s All Too Much, tea played an important role in their music.

There are actually several tea references in Beatles music; from asking Lovely Rita, Meter Maid “when are you free to take some tea with me?” to All Together Now, where the question is posed “A – B – C – D – can I bring my friend to tea?”

Photo via beatlesource.com

We at Bigelow Tea just had to share this great photo (above) with you, taken at Abbey Road Studios, where John, Paul, George and Ringo are taking a break from recording, From Me to You. They’re enjoying tea time with George Martin, (Now Sir George Martin) producer of most of their recordings from 1962-1969, and who is considered by many to be the “Fifth Beatle.”

Run a search of Beatles and tea and you’ll find more great pictures of the group at tea time. We also came across this caricature from The Beatles cartoon series, titled Tea and Crumpets.

Their musical and social impact on the world was immense, and their tea-fueled creativity just adds to their appeal. Also, check out this video of Paul McCartney’s English Tea, from his highly regarded 2007 album “Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.”

Have a favorite Beatles’ tea moment?  Tell us about it!

“Women are like tea bags. They don’t know how strong they are until they get into hot water.”

— attributed to both Eleanor Roosevelt and Nancy Reagan

Cindi Bigelow beside portrait of Ruth Campbell Bigelow, Entrepreneur

We have seen that fantastic quote here before, speaking to the essential connection between women and their tea. As we reflect on that association at Bigelow Tea, looking at the fascinating history of our family-run company, we can’t help but see the correlation between smart and talented women and tea.

Perhaps it’s all the medical studies that connect the properties in tea with bone health, or reducing the risk of diabetes. It could be the fundamental pleasure of sitting with a friend and talking about life and love over a cup of Bigelow Tea. Whatever the reason, women and tea connect, and it’s no wonder women continue to make the switch to tea.

Image Courtesy of i.telegraph.co.uk

From Eleanor Roosevelt to recent Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock, we mention some of our favorite female  tea drinkers on our Bigelow Tea Blog. Hollywood stars to Olympic athletes to business mavens: we think it’s wonderful that there are so many excellent female role models out there who love their tea.

At Bigelow Tea, we rely on the tradition of the inspiring spirit of women, and we have for 65 years — ever since Ruth Campbell Bigelow started the Bigelow Tea company in a time when businesswomen were not the norm. She had a strong entrepreneurial vision, and one which lives on today with her granddaughter and our company President, Cindi Bigelow. It just warms our hearts to know that generation after generation of tea drinkers have enjoyed the warmth and inspiration that Bigelow Tea brings to them.

Note: a big thank you goes out to World Tea News for this great interview with Cindi Bigelow talking about Bigelow Tea’s 65th anniversary!