It seems that tea lovers really like to speak their minds! Bigelow Tea is thrilled that during February we heard from so many of you through Twitter and Facebook. Our communication channels were packed with great feedback from our tweeps and Friends, and we can’t thank you enough!
On Twitter lots of people were tweeting about their favorite teas. For starters, @AliBabaAuctions let us know that he likes to start the day with Bigelow Earl Grey Tea “with honey and half-and-half.” Sounds good to us! Similarly @WebThingy told us that his “fav tea (I drink it 2x a day at least) is Green Tea w/ Pomegranate.” And @reddpups tweeted that she was “lovin the Chamomile Mango tea right now.” Thanks for letting us know!
Finally, @colinmorris made us chuckle with this one: “Oh, thank god. @BigelowTea has a @Twitter account. Now I can tell them every time I’m brewing their lifesaving chai. (I annoy even myself.)”
Our Facebook page was really hopping too! So many of you posted updates on our page, and we got literally hundreds of responses to some of the questions we posed last month! More than 100 of you responded to one question alone: when we asked if it was possible people were drinking iced tea in February! The answer? A resounding yes! All of this great back-and-forth communication is truly remarkable … and it actually caught the attention of Chris Brogan, a social media consultant to Fortune 500 companies, who put Bigelow Tea’s Facebook page on his list of “Compelling Facebook Fan Pages!”
Way to go, tea drinkers! Thanks for making your voices heard and for letting us know what you like and how you like it. We can’t wait to hear more from you next month!
Bigelow Tea’s Valentine’s Day Sweeps will run from February 7th to February 13th, with the winners announced on Valentine’s Day. To enter: visit Bigelow Tea’s Facebook page, and “Like” us by clicking the icon next to our name at the top of the page. Then visit the sweepstakes tab and enter your name for a chance to win this great Valentines gift duo from Bigelow Tea! (A $6.59 retail value.)
We hope you enjoy this month’s sweepstakes, and take advantage of the chance to spend some time with a lovely Tea CUP-ple on Valentine’s Day!
We recently found this video from a Green Tea drinker, Bubzbeauty. She woke up wondering, “If green tea can do wonders for our health, what about our skin?” So, after some research and experimentation, she decided to give herself a green tea facial! By combining brewed green tea, sugar and oil, she created a luxurious facial scrub.
As we’ve noted before, green tea is full of antioxidants and can provide a myriad of health and beauty benefits. An article by Suzanne Currie lists green tea as one of the top five ingredients for beautiful skin. She writes:
Green tea is rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation and protect cell membranes. It has been proven to reduce the damage of sunburns and overexposure to ultraviolet light, which in turn reduces the risk of skin cancer. Green tea also contains polyphenol. Recent research by scientists at the Medical College of Georgia shows that the polyphenol most abundant in green tea also acts as a “fountain of youth” it reactivates dying skin cells. In addition to its skin-healthy properties, green tea is also high in vitamins C, D and K, zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron.
We’ve used tea as a soothing body spray, as part of a mild astringent toner, and now you can use it for a facial scrub! What’s more, green tea is not sticky, it’s inexpensive and is 100% natural. What more could you want from a skin care product?
We hope you already enjoy Bigelow’s many Green Tea varieties as a beverage. And, perhaps on a snowy day when you feel like pampering yourself, you’ll see what it can do for your skin! Tea and beauty are a winning combination.
Additional Note: Perfect timing, ABC Good Morning America featured a segment this morning on how to use damp green tea bags (from Bigelow) to help diminish blemishes.
February is the perfect time to indulge your inner romantic, especially if a wedding is in your future. With Valentine’s Day on the 14th and February designated National Wedding Month, inspiration abounds to help you express your unique romantic style.
Ultimately, a romantic wedding is in the details – those that celebrate your love story, not a hearts-and-flowers cliché. Think shared passions, favorite foods and a setting that reflects your vibe as a couple. Here at Bigelow Tea, we can’t think of a more romantic place to say “I do” than our own Charleston Tea Plantation, home of America’s only tea garden. This special place, tucked away on 127 unspoiled acres on Wadmalaw Island in the heart of South Carolina Low country, is where Jackie and Tyler exchanged vows in a ceremony that Charleston Weddings.com called “rustic-chic.” The lush and tranquil grounds served as the perfect backdrop for the nuptials of these two horse lovers, who met as carriage drivers in historic downtown Charleston.
Spark your imagination with this video tour of the Plantation. Whether you choose a simple ceremony under the majestic “wedding tree” or a more dramatic celebration amid the endless rows of tea blossoms, romance is sure to be in the air! Guests will find plenty to do, from a trolley ride explaining the Plantation’s fascinating history and how American Classic Teas are produced, to wine tasting at Irvin-House Vineyards, Charleston’s only domestic winery. If you’re planning a spring wedding, antique lovers will appreciate Charleston’s annual Festival of Houses and Gardens, March 17 – April 16, 2011, offering a rare glimpse inside of some of America’s most beautiful historic homes.
With your wedding plans now under control, grab a cup of tea and relax. In the spirit of romance, we suggest Sweetheart Cinnamon Herb Tea shared with someone special!
Can you imagine our excitement here at Bigelow Tea when we received word from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine that one of our teas had won first place in a Black Tea Taste Test?! Yes, it’s true, we were recently informed that in the February issue of Ms. Ray’s delectable magazine our very own Plantation Mint Tea would be featured as the BEST in the “black tea with HERB” category!
Here’s a preview of what Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine says about our fantastic Plantation Mint:
Since its introduction half a century ago, this blend has amassed a loyal following—and it won over our judges too.
Black tea adds depth (plus caffeine) to sweet, invigorating spearmint leaves.
“This would be the ultimate morning pick-me-up!” one taster exclaimed. Another noted that it’d be delicious served iced.
Plantation Mint was developed by Eunice Bigleow and introduced in 1961. It continues to be a consumer favorite, ranking in sales among our top three flavored black teas. We love it whether it’s hot and soothing, iced and refreshing or in one of our favorite recipes like Bigelow Frozen Iced Tea!
We hope you’ll all grab a copy and give it a read … and maybe sip some Plantation Mint tea while you’re perusing its pages! Thanks, Rachael, for recognizing our tea. We love you too!
At Bigelow Tea, we truly enjoy hearing from you, our customers–and from tea lovers all over the world! Whether you’re commenting on a blog post, Tweeting about your favorite tea or contributing thoughts on our Facebook page, we are always happy to hear from you. That’s why we’ve decided to post a monthly “thank you” to all our Internet pals!
In December we found our Facebook page hopping with activity! Many tea lovers became our “fans” and entered our exciting sweepstakes. In addition, many grateful customers visited our page to share their love of our teas! Thanks to Barbara Ellen Cornett-Gollwitzer (Spiced Chai tea), Brian Muller (Jasmine Green tea) and Jennifer Palmer (Vanilla Caramel tea) for the shout-outs about their favorite teas!
And there’s tea fan Toby Fauke Smith, who recently expresses his love of Bigelow Teas’ Earl Grey: “It’s my favorite and I’ve tried many including loose leaf tea shop varieties. Bigelow’s is the best!” We admire Toby’s good sense and taste!
This is just a small sample of what you’re saying about Bigelow Tea, and we look forward to highlighting additional conversations in the future. Thanks to all our Facebook fans, Twitter followers, readers and friends for sharing your thoughts, comments, exclamations and compliments with us this month! Happy New Year … and we look forward to connecting with you again throughout the month of January and beyond!
All of our Bigelow Teas have their own personality… some are mellow, or exhilarating, or complex. So, we’re wondering … if you were a Bigelow Tea, which one would you be?
Perhaps Constant Comment, a complex tea with a surprising hint of zesty orange…?
Or Earl Grey? Distinctive, sophisticated and refined… very aristocratic!
As the days turn to winter and the air gets colder, Bigelow Tea knows that few things can beat the simple comfort of wrapping your chilly hands around a steaming cup of Bigelow tea, and breathing in the warmth and pleasure of the rich aroma. And few teas are more richly adept for this special aroma therapy, than Bigelow Tea’s exotic, spiced Chai selections.
India is most famous for its chai culture and drinking chai is part of everyday life there. (In fact, in India the word chai can also just mean ‘tea’ of any kind.) The spices vary from region to region in India, and even from house to house with special family traditions and variations, but the most common spices used are cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper.
Chai is not only prominent in India but in many other countries and regions across the world. For many English speakers chai is synonymous with the traditional Indian recipe known as Masala chai. And if you’re feeling a little adventurous, you can brew your own Chai! There are so many different recipes, each with their own particular blend of rich, black tea, milk, and spices. If this appeals, Bigelow Tea is happy to suggest a Chai recipe book to get you started!If, however, you prefer the simple pleasure of putting our Bigelow Tea Spiced Chai to work for some instant satisfaction, you can try the variety of Chai teas we have at Bigelow Tea — black, vanilla, or green. Delicious, exotic, and yes, the best value in aromatherapy available! You too can be living the chai life!
A Turkish street vendor sells çay from a large samovar in Istanbul
Nobody appreciates the world of tea like we do at Bigelow Tea, so in addition to our recent travels into the absorbing tea traditions of The Netherlands, Ireland and Morocco, we’re now off on an adventurous tour of the Ottoman Empire and are taking tea in Turkey.
Long known as a bastion of strong flavors (think strong coffees, tobacco and sweets) Turkey is no less passionate about serving up its Rize teas (black tea for us) via stacked kettles called çaydanlık, in markets and cafes.
A çaydanlik (stacked kettle) used for serving
With the highest per capita consumption of tea in the world (nearly 245 million glasses consumed daily), it’s tea – not coffee – that’s most popular among Turks. This trend grew from the ashes of the Empire’s collapse in 1923 and forced the nation to look to its homegrown tea traditions in lieu of expensive coffee imports.
A modern cup of çay with obligatory sugar
According to one travelogue, a Turk’s first question is Nasilsiniz? (How are you?) The second inevitably is “Some tea?” The very offering of tea connotes friendship in this culture. The basics of the tea service are familiar, yet personal preferences do count when preparing the hot sweet Turkish cuppa. Increasingly, visitors are also treated to herbal varieties, like the popular apple (elma çayı) tea or sage flavored tea (ada çayı) found mostly in coastal regions.
The more traditional delicate glass with saucer
From its presence in most homes to becoming a staple at the nargile (or water pipe) cafes, a delicate glass cup filled with hot fragrant tea means trust and time with those you most care about — a tradition we heartily embrace at Bigelow Tea, and one you can seek out in Istanbul or, delightfully, in the comfort of your home!
In so many cultures, teatime is also story time. In Ireland, families gather in front of fires with tea to share stories and songs about their history. In China, tea is an integral part of many family celebrations. And in England, tea breaks are the perfect time to catch up on the latest family news.
Storytelling is also important here in our Bigelow Tea family. On this very blog we share the stories of our valued customers and employees, who are truly like family to us. As a family-owned and family-operated business, we are also always proud to share our family’s story, which began with Ruth Campbell Bigelow offering her orange spiced tea to friends. They couldn’t stop commenting on it … and of course that’s when Constant Comment was born!
This month we encourage everyone to take time to brew a cup of tea and sit for a while with a beloved family member. Share some family stories along with your tea. You’ll make moments to cherish for a long time to come!
All of our 
If, however, you prefer the simple pleasure of putting our Bigelow Tea Spiced Chai to work for some instant satisfaction, you can try the variety of Chai teas we have at Bigelow Tea 
A çaydanlik (stacked kettle) used for serving
