A little bit about Tea…
The production of tea is similar to the production of w**e: Like w**e, tea comes from one bush (an evergreen, known as Camellia Sinensis). The variety of tea is astounding – the unique character of fine tea stems from the terroir (the location, climate, soil and how far up the mountain!) and the careful skill of the farmer. Tea is rich in the antioxidants that fight the ageing of skin. Drinking tea also increases metabolism (good for weight loss!). Tea helps lessen colds and menstrual pain. For hundreds of years tea was a luxury that only very few could afford. Quality was exceptional, consumers were revered as connoisseurs. Most tea today bears little resemblance. Oddly 94% of tea is the dust that remains from the industrial machine-production of tea. A little bit about Chash…
Curious about the incongruence, I hunted for signs. In 2008 I discovered a series of reports. These highlighted a growth in demand for, and consumption of, ‘specialist’ teas. So each weekend I visited a new shopping centre. There I quizzed anyone I could find with a coffee cup in their hand : are you interested in trying fine tea? The responses were encouraging. Spurred on, I sourced a range of fine teas. In the summer months I tested the theory on the great British public with a series of ‘Tea Parties’. For 3 more years the careful sourcing of tea continued. I quickly learned the market suffered wide variation in quality. It was astonishing to find so much poor tea masquerading as fine leaf. So that we can offer a menu full of the finest teas we choose only teas from a small range of suppliers. The teas we select are chosen for more than their taste, aroma and appearance. We offer outstanding examples of the teas popular in the UK, and also add breadth to our Tea Menu with tea that is unusual, rare or little-known. We are confident the menu is iconic and original. To reflect change to consumer attitudes, the menu constantly evolves. Some of our tea is organic, many cannot be found anywhere else. Uniquely, we are the only people to provide tea tailored specially for cocktails, for men, for women and for kids! After 4 years, Chash continues to carefully select the world’s finest tea and herbal blends. Our tea is served, to accompany their artisan delicacies, in a number of fine bakeries, charming cafes and contemporary theatres. It can also be enjoyed with gourmet food in exclusive country hotels and fine restaurants.
