6th May, 2008: News from the Charleston Tea Plantation
News from the Charleston Tea Plantation: The first tea harvest for 2008 will take place this Wednesday May 7th. We will be building inventory for our First Flush Festival which takes place on May 17th. Go here for more information.
The weather continues to be dry here on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, therefore the leaves are a little behind their normal growth. However, there will be plenty of tea ready for the festival.
Put your order in soon for the First Flush Tea, call directly to place your order 843 559 0383. The quantity is limited!
Bill Hall, Partner
Charleston Tea Plantation
Posted by Liesl at 8:28 am | Comment (0)
29th April, 2008: Celebrate the 2nd Annual First Flush Celebration, Charleston Tea Plantation
Bigelow Teas Charleston Tea Plantation welcomes guests to celebrate the arrival of the spring season with their Annual First Flush event, a day dedicated to the entrance of the 2008 crop harvest. Taking place on May 17, 2008 on Wadmalaw Island, the 2nd annual First Flush Festival will offer a full day of excitement and revelry.
Throughout the day, the Tea Trolley will take visitors on a special route and provide an informative and enlightening First Flush Tour. Attendees can also observe the process of making tea in the on-site factory.
In addition to the plantation tours, food, live music and games, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase their very own supply of Charleston Tea Plantations 2008 First Flush Loose Tea. At an extremely limited availability, the First Flush Tea produced only with tea leaves from the very first spring growth on the tea plants has a unique taste of its own.
Tickets for the festival will be sold prior to the event at the Gift Shoppe for $8.00. On the day of the event, tickets will be $10.00 at the gate. For more details regarding the First Flush Festival, please call 1-843-559-0383 or visit www.bigelowtea.com.
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
10th April, 2008: Charleston Tea Plantation mention by TODAY show travel editor, Peter Greenberg
Want to know where to go for a tea tour? Check out Peter Greenberg’s site here, travel editor for NBC’s Today show. Peter mentions in this article Bigelow Tea’s Charleston Tea Plantation as a go-to destination for all that is tea in South Carolina!
Posted by Valorie at 3:39 pm | Comment (0)
9th January, 2008: Everything Tea…William Barclay Hall Knows All
With over forty years experience in every facet of the tea industry, William Barclay Hall knows everything there is to know about tea. Originally from Canada, Mr. Hall received his formal training in England in the late 1960s: first with Brooke Bond, LTD, then the largest tea packer in the world and later, with Van Rees, the largest tea trader in the world then and now. Interestingly, during his training, Mr. Hall would taste up to 800 cups of tea a day.
After mastering tea packaging and tea trading, Mr. Hall then went on to spend a number of years in the US food industry, buying and consulting about tea. He later became a highly sought after and respected tea broker, traveling extensively throughout the tea growing regions of the world in search of the perfect cup of tea.
Well, he found it – at the Charleston Tea Plantation – America’s only tea garden, located in Charleston, South Carolina. He purchased the plantation in 1987 and later partnered with Bigelow Tea, which has owned the plantation since 2003. Everyday Mr. Hall lends his forty year tea intelligence to all aspects of tea production at the Charleston Tea Plantation, ensuring production of the highest quality of tea. Together, William Barclay Hall and Bigelow Tea have transformed the Charleston Tea Plantation from a plantation into a beautiful and educational tourist destination as well. A “must see” for tea lovers and tourists alike.
The William Barclay Hall/Bigelow Tea duo gives new meaning to “Tea for Two.”
For more on Bill Hall and the Charleston Tea Plantation, go to www.bigelowtea.com.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
7th December, 2007: What’s happening at the Charleston Tea Plantation?
Aaron Lawrence knows…
After winning the R.C. Bigelow Incentive Program, territory rep., Aaron Lawrence was treated to a weekend at the Charleston Tea Plantation, which is the largest tea garden in the country. As you can tell from the photos, Aaron really enjoyed learning all there is to know about making tea. Aaron even made some new friends. According to Aaron, “The Charleston Tea Plantation is a great way to learn about tea and tea history. The staff is incredibly friendly and the site is magnificent. I would highly recommend making a visit whether you are a tea enthusiast or not!” There is more information on the Charleston Tea Plantation at www.bigelowtea.com.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
6th August, 2007: Bigelow Tea Plantation Featured on TODAY Show’s Website
Bigelow Tea’s Charleston Tea Plantation was featured by Peter Greenberg, TODAY Travel Detective. The Plantation was noted among other important landmarks in Charleston. In his piece of July 25, 2007, Touring the history, old charm of Charleston, Greenberg remarks that the 127-acre plantation, containing hundreds of thousands of tea bushes, is the only if its kind operational in the country. Tours are available Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday noon-4 p.m. For more information go to the Charleston Tea Plantation category here or on our website, www.bigelowtea.com.
Make Charleston a destination this summer and learn more about tea and its history.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
25th July, 2007: Upcoming Tour to the Charleston Tea Plantation
The Tea House Times will be hosting a four-day tea tour, July 29 - August 3, featuring stops at the only black tea plantation in the U.S., The Charleston Tea Plantation, and other points of historic interest in Charleston and Summerville, South Carolina.
On day one, tea enthusiasts will gain a better understanding of the beginnings of the tea industry in America with a full morning’s visit to the Charleston Tea Plantation.
At the plantation which is owned by Bigelow Tea, visitors will explore the grounds, tour the factory and browse the gift shop. Rounding out the day, guests will enjoy southern cooking at its best during a formal dinner at the Woodlands Inn.
Tour highlights also include stops at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, explorations of historic Charleston and Summerville, free time in Old City Market and an afternoon tea at the Wickliffe House.
For more tour information or to sign-up, visit the Tea House Times Web site.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
1st June, 2007: A visitor arrives at the Charleston Tea Plantation
Today Bigelow Tea has invited Gail Gastelu, aka Lady Gayle, www.theteahousetimes.com, to be our guest blogger and tell us about her experience visiting the Charleston Tea Plantation. Take a look and let us know when you can visit!
Having visited Charleston Tea Plantation, I wanted to share my story so others will know how beautiful and how worth the trip it really is. In May, 2006, I was invited with other members of the press to attend Grand Opening festivities at the Charleston Tea Plantation. The experience was truly magical. Under a beautiful white tented area we were treated to refreshments and presentations by the Bigelow family and co-owner, Bill Hall. The passion and hard work they have put into the operations of this plantation were really felt that day as they shared with us all the details of tea growth and operation of the facility and machinery.
Driving from the Charleston area to Wadmalaw Island, where the Plantation is located, was beautiful in itself. Winding roads lined with huge trees dripping with Spanish moss created a pathway and pleasant drive. Upon entering the drive to the Plantation, the excitement began to build immediately. As soon as you enter, you are surrounded by tea shrubs. As you drive further up the road you encounter more trees with Spanish moss and more tea – as far as the eye can see.
Once the car is parked you can enter the gift shop which leads to the factory where you may observe the tea processing machinery at work. Along the tour are video presentations of tea processing and explanations of the equipment being used. It is very interesting and fun. At the end of the tour you may sample some iced tea and enjoy the vast selection of Charleston Tea Plantation souvenirs as well as some special South Carolina, low-country specialties.
American Classic Tea, produced at the Plantation, is available all throughout the South at almost every shop, grocery store, and even in the airport gift shops. It is very good for making iced tea. In fact, my sister-in-law and her family have been drinking it iced for years and love it so much they can’t get enough of it. So, when I brought them some boxes of tea back from my trip, they were thrilled, but since they make iced tea every day – quickly ran out. So, my niece says “I’m sure Auntie Gail can help us get more!” Well, I told them they can order the tea directly from the Bigelow website or the Plantation online and that was great news to them.
For anyone who enjoys drinking tea, attending afternoon tea, or simply loves to travel, this is a unique, very special experience not to be missed. Go to the Bigelow website www.bigelowtea.com for more information, hours, and directions. I, myself, enjoyed it so much that I am leading a Tea Tour, Summer 2007 to include a special time at the Plantation and surrounding Charleston area.
By Gail Gastelu, aka Lady Gayle, www.theteahousetimes.com
Posted by Valorie at 6:00 am | Comments (3)
9th May, 2007: 2007 Charleston Tea Plantation First Flush Celebration!
May 12, 2007 10am - 5pm
Each Spring Mother Nature awakens the Tea Plants and another growing season begins. The Lowcountry provides just the right mix of heat, rain and sun for tiny, tender tea leaves to push up above last year’s growth. This “First Flush”” is Nature’s very special gift to Charleston Tea Plantation - America’s Only Tea Garden.
With a taste all its own, American Classic Tea’s First Flush is a once-a-year Special Edition Tea available in very limited quantities. This year we are going to celebrate our First Flush with a Festival at the Plantation on May 12, 2007. Bring a blanket or chair and come celebrate with us for a full day of fun, food, live music, games, relaxation and friendship.
Observe the process of making tea in our factory from the “Tourway” where you’ll hear and see all about the world of tea. Visit the Gift Shoppe for unique merchandise and take home a supply of American Classic Tea. Take the narrated bus tour through the farm for unforgettable views. Purchase your own supply of the 2007 American Classic First Flush Tea for those special moments when only the best will do. It’s all part of the First Flush Festival at Charleston Tea Plantation.
Call 1-843-559-0383 or click here for more details.
Posted by Liesl at 3:44 pm | Comment (0)
1st March, 2007: Nampa (Idaho) Red Hat Society
Recently the Boise facility was visited by a group of ladies from the Nampa Red Hat Society. As avid tea drinkers they wanted to see how Bigelow made Constant Comment and other teas. The groups watched a DVD showcasing the Charleston Tea Plantation growing and harvesting tea and then were able to follow tea through the production process.
The Red Hat Society philosophy is to have fun and this group sure promoted that idea to all those around them. It is refreshing to see people who enjoy life and take the extra time to find out about products they care about.
Posted by Dean at 6:25 pm | Comment (0)
