Another Year in Tea

Today is my 28th birthday. Age 27 was an eventful year! Here are a few highlights:

* Got to work with some great tea companies! From staff training to events to copy (mostly copy), I loved learning about what makes each tea business successful in its own, unique way... and helping them do better within their niche. It's incredible to see such a diversity within the growing world of tea in North America. I'm thrilled o be a part of it.

* Continued to work with World Tea News. No one else is taking a look at the tea industry the way they are, and it has been a joy to be a part of the team.

* Started writing for About.com as their Coffee.Tea guide. Figured devoting time to coffee is worth it if I can spread the love of tea. (I'm kidding! Kind of...) Continued to work toward my goal of exposing more people to great tea.

* Left NYC. Temporarily relocated to Charlotte, NC to help my mom open her second location of Urbana Cityspa & Teabar. When my work was done there, my husband and I traveled across the country to Portland, OR, a city much more suited to our lifestyles. (You can read about my journey, mostly my many stops for tea, on World Tea News.)

* Tasted some amazing teas. Got deeper into oolongs. Had a month of focused tastings. Sipped entire collections of tea from multiple vendors. Subscribed to Teance's teas of the month. Realized that, even if I tried, I could never get tired of tea.

* Worked hard. Lived well. Late last year, I realized that I was verging on burnout. After re-evaluating some priorities, making a commitment to only taking on clients I really want to work with and getting back into a regular exercise routine, I'm happy to say that burnout is no longer on my horizon. Might sound like a small task, but those who have been there will likely agree with me that it is not.

I hope that this year will be as much of an adventure as the last one (though I wouldn't mind moving less!). There are a few exciting projects in the works, including writing a book (the topic of which is currently secret), writing copy for several promising new clients and maybe even taking a trip to Japan and/or Sri Lanka. One of my goals for the year is to blog more, so I'll do my best to share news of these projects (and whatever else may come along this year!) here as it comes up. Until then! ~Lindsey Goodwin, Age 28

New Article: Tea Time in a Hot Town

As many tea business owners will tell you, summer tends to be a slower time for U.S. tea sales. However, tea business owners in Phoenix are finding way to counter this trend. I talked with them about their tactics that beat the heat. Here are a few they shared:

* A focus on health, including organics, natural flavors, general benefits and
overall lifestyle
* Cooling Ayurvedic or Chinese medicinal blends
* European-style teashops
* Frozen tea treats, like slushes, smoothies, ice creams and gelatos
* Locations in artsy areas, or former coffee shops
* Modern, gender-neutral aesthetics
* Pairing tea with desserts and meals
* Partnerships with herbalists, caterers and other tea-related professionals
* Tea body products, like soaps and lotions
* Tea for rubs, marinades, smoking and other outdoorsy recipes
* Tea cocktails, mocktails and sodas
* Tropical and desert flavors, like passion fruit and prickly pear

Sources indicated that these kinds of tactics may work elsewhere, and shared other tea-in-hot-weather advice for World Tea News in my new article, Tea Time in a Hot Town. In a summer slump? Check it out!

Cutting Costs in the Tea Industry

Is your tearoom getting your bank account down? Check out my new article on cutting costs without sacrificing quality. Excerpt:

Cutting costs is all the rage in a recession, but poorly chosen cuts blight productivity, quality and consumer confidence. Tea business owners can make positive cuts, however, if they know what to skip snipping and where to trim.

Costs of goods

With today’s food costs, it is essential that tea shop owners look at costs with “big business manager” eyes, said Dean Jablon, CEO of The Mulberry Tea House, who will speak on the topic at the upcoming World Tea Expo.

Jablon advised evaluating every menu item’s cost. Other sources recommended rectifying under-priced items by adjusting serving and purchase sizes, and making deals.

Jesse Jacobs, owner of Samovar Tea Lounge, scrutinized how products were being prepared and found that about half the time, teas were brewed with an incorrect amount of leaves – most often too much.

“Even a quarter teaspoon too much can make a huge difference when you’re talking about 1,000 pots of rooibos,” Jacobs said. He implemented staff training for standardized, accurate production.


You can read the rest on World Tea News. Check it out and make some (good) cuts!