There is a Holy Grail for the tea industry, but it isn’t what you think it is.
Some folks in the tea industry say that in order for tea to get the recognition it deserves someone is going to have to become the Starbucks of Tea. Believe it or not, it’s a phrase that is tossed around in trade journals and at trade shows. A shop on every corner, in every town across America. Each one situated across from your friendly, but aging, Starbucks store in a true standoff of American brands.
The American message about tea will be revitalized and modern. Images of wrinklies, china cups and Zen enlightenment will be buried. The image of tea will be updated and everyone will be stopping off for a cup. There will be glitz and glamour, and somebody is going to make a hell of a lot of money. All for the benefit of the American consumer.
It will be a great day for tea drinkers and for American industry. A new, shiny brand, selling a wonderful product that deserves the limelight after so many years in the shadows. It will be proof of American ingenuity and perseverance. It is the future of American tea, the story of how one small company took advantage of a growing demand for tea and took on a global giant in true, underdog fashion. It will be talked about in business schools for decades.
But what does it really mean? Only more overpriced tea. Just like it is now, some things will never change.
The Holy Grail of tea is far more mundane and far more boring.
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Put the kettle on!
Winston Churchill is probably the most famous man in modern British history. His powerful oratory helped hold the spirit of a nation together at a time when all seemed lost. He is a hero of almost indescribable magnitude, but also a scone-gobbling thief…
The Euphrates River. Just being there—seeing it, listening to it, smelling it—seemed to have biblical implications. How many foreign invaders saw the river that way? A soldier, sitting on top of an armored vehicle. The sun setting on the horizon. A long, hot and uncertain day coming to an end with another warm night about to begin. It was something as simple as a cup of tea that made it bearable.