News and happenings - A few big announcements!

February has been a great tea month around here. I'm energized and full of gratitude for all the great things that have happened.

I was honored to be profiled by the Boston Globe. The link is here although, unfortunately, it's behind a paywall so I'm not sure how many of you can access it. What made me the happiest about the opportunity was what it communicates about the broadening interest in tea. Here is a daily paper that doesn't have a particular stake in promoting tea that saw the book and tea of enough value to dedicate a full page in their magazine.

I am also thrilled to announce that I am one of the new Contributing Editors for "TEA A Magazine."  Many of you are likely familiar with TEA as it has been publishing since 1994 under the direction of founder/editor Pearl Dexter. Last month Pearl made the decision to sell the magazine and it was purchased by ITEM Media. ITEM hired Dan Bolton as the new editor, a name you might recognize from my past mentions of the online trade publication World Tea News (another publication I write for). Dan called me and asked if I would come on board as one of the Contributing Editors. I was honored and all the more thrilled when I saw the names of some of the others on the team - World Tea Tours founder Dan Robertson, tea sommelier and chef Cindy Gold, writer and tea expert Bruce Richardson, and several other accomplished writers and tea folk. The magazine is undergoing a transformation and I hope you join us on the ride. We'll now publish six times a year (instead of four) and we'll be covering a wide spectrum of tea topics -- new teas and products, travels, cooking, and happenings in tea world. Check out www.teamag.com to sample some articles from the first new issue which will come out later in March. Definitely let me know or visit Tea Magazine's Facebook page to tell us what you'd like to be reading about. We want this publication to truly represent the tea community.

Finally, I think it is important to note the recent signs I've seen of the massive growth of tea. Certainly ITEM buying TEA is big, especially where it came such a short time after F+W Media purchasing World Tea Media, the company that presents World Tea Expo. Also in the past few months we've seen Sara Lee buy Tea Forte with the aim of creating a new international tea and coffee company. Jamba Juice just bought Talbott Tea and Martin Bauer Group just purchased Beverage House which many feel indicates an eye toward broadening MBG's distribution and product opportunities. Finally, this past weekend we saw the 7th Annual Coffee and Tea Festival: NYC and the 1st annual San Francisco International Tea Festival. Both events were completely sold out. I feel like the message is getting out -- tea is an affordable luxury that is exciting and offers something for everyone.

I'll be posting my round up of the NY show soon, but for now, welcome to my new readers and thanks to my long-time readers for being part of this amazing tea community.

And now for something completely different

I spend a lot of time writing serious things about tea. There's the blog, magazine pieces, books...But then a very cool thing happened.

A blogger friend of mine sent me an idea she had for a project. She suggested that a group of us play around with a little tea fiction. I had never been a fiction writer but recently had a great experience with NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month - You commit to writing 50,000 words on a brand new fiction project in 30 days) so I thought I'd try it.

We began a "Round Robin." You probably did something like this as a game with your family or friends when you were a child. The first person tells a small part of the story then hands off to the next. The next person adds their part and hands it off again. Our first writer set the stage with a few characters in a tea room and from there all bets were off. This new Tea Writer's Collective includes five writers with wildly divergent styles and interests and the story has taken some sharp turns, detours, and blind alleys. We're still writing, but have now released the first installment of a tale.

The story will be released in installments. The schedule will be posted on the site soon along with an "About Us" page that reveals all of the authors. What we will NOT do is reveal who wrote which sections. Each installment will likely include contributions from multiple writers. Maybe you'll be able to figure out who and maybe you won't.

There will be intrigue and espionage, love stories and secret identities and, of course, lots and lots of tea. So I now present to you Installment One of "The Tea Room."

Windows

Many years ago someone told my husband that he looked at his life like a window of time. Every other person who has ever lived has their own window and sometimes, by miracle or happenstance, your window overlaps with someone special.

With billions of people on the planet I look at the most special people (not related to me) in my life and sometimes wonder how I was so fortunate as to have our windows overlap.

My experience blogging and writing has only served to make these moments of gratitude more frequent. I have readers who have been with me from the very beginning. They comment and drop me notes and have made this experience feel so personal and important. (Thank you.) There are the people from all over the planet who wrote essays for my book or who have read it and let me know how they felt about it. There was the woman in Singapore whose husband found the book in an airport in Indonesia. Really? There are tea folks that I have admired all my tea life and I finally got to meet like Norwood Pratt and Jane Pettigrew. They have made my life richer simply by those small moments.

Twitter has been a whole other experience. I had avoided Twitter for a long time. 140 characters seemed like just enough to be a major time waster. I liked writing long blog posts (too long, more than likely). I wanted to be thorough and I could barely manage posting regularly on the blog AND trying to write other things AND get some kind of Facebook page up. I just never got to it. Finally I gave in and set up an account. I began to find more tea folks there. I found my new Tea Trade friends over there and lots of my industry contacts. Before I knew it I was saying things like "Twitterverse" to my husband. (I can't say that he was impressed.) At World Tea East I finally had the chance to put some faces to names and was reminded of how powerful a tool like Twitter can be. It's like a global meet up.

There is a point to posting this. Today is a difficult day for many of us over in Twitter land. Two days ago I received a message from one of my tea/writer friends that said simply "our Milly has passed away" with a hyperlink. I found that the link was to his blog with a beautiful tribute to an equally beautiful lady who went by @MildewPea . I didn't even know until that day that her name was Diane. As far as I was concerned she was Milly and she was as British as an American in Indiana could be. I think that was one of the reasons I took to her so much. She was the Anglophile I sometimes find myself striving to be. Her profile pic showed her smartly dressed in tweed with a big tea mug adorned with a Union Jack.

I remember times in my life when I lost someone close to me and I suddenly felt like others were trying to "claim" that person. Like in high school, when there is a loss and suddenly everyone was that person's best friend. I was not Milly's best friend. I am sure I was barely on her radar screen. But no matter. She was on mine. I immediately felt happier when I saw that profile picture. I smiled at her kindnesses and the way that she always cheered everyone else up. I smirked when she broke out of her "very proper" style and said something naughty, but only naughty in a very dignified way.

I've tried to figure out why the news struck me so deeply. I've never met Milly. I've only communicated with her one-on-one a handful of times. I think for me it was the reminder that these tea friends I've made may be virtual in some ways but they are real people with real lives. They face heartbreaks and pain and love and joy. As with all friendships, they are only as strong as the work you put into them. 140 characters can make relationships pretty superficial unless you read between those lines.

So tonight I want to close by saying thank you. Thank you to those of you who write to me and comment on the blog. Thank you for inspiring me and supporting my tea writing habit. Thank you for helping me to know you and for overlapping with my life at this moment. And now I raise my cup (I thought my mug from Harrods with the double-decker buses would be appropriate) and tonight I remember Milly.

Warm welcome for "A Tea Reader"

As you no doubt know (and if you don't, then I haven't been doing my job), my first book was released in October by Tuttle Publishing. (It had a November release in the UK.) "A Tea Reader: Living Life One Cup at a Time" is a book of essays, old and new, that I collected from tea drinkers from across the globe. Many of you probably remember my initial call for essays. Then I started reaching out to shop owners and tea enthusiasts and experts I knew, asking (begging) them to participate. I cannot tell you how moved I was when people like Jane Pettigrew, Roy Fong, and Laura Childs said yes. Then James Norwood Pratt agreed to let me reprint one of his lovely pieces written for "Fresh Cup" about his first trip to China.

I won't go through the craziness of finding a publisher and bringing this book to the public other than to say that I feel extremely fortunate to work with a publisher that is so committed to its books and its authors. Tuttle is really a wonderful company.

Since the book released it's been a whirlwind. You can see images of some of my readings and book events on the book's Facebook page. It's been great fun choosing the essays to read at the events, meeting some of the essayists for the first time, and seeing some great teashops and bookstores.

If you want to read what others are saying, check out the reviews on the "A Tea Reader" website. You can find a complete list here. I have been overwhelmed by the lovely things that have been said. I was honored when Publishers Weekly and Shelf Awareness selected the book for review. I have been delighted to read some of the well researched and well considered blog posts. It was fantastic to participate in an interview with USA Today that has now been republished in papers from Tampa Bay to Vancouver, from Indianapolis to Ottawa, and many, many places in between. There was also a particularly lovely review in yesterday's "Montreal Gazette."

There is a great deal more fun ahead for this book I know and I am gratified to know that it is finding its audience. I'd love to hear from more of you who have read the book. What were your favorite essays? What are your own favorite tea memories? Have you shared the book with anyone else?

12 Hopes for 2012

I don't do resolutions, at least not New Year's resolutions. Here's the thing: I can't just decide to make a life change; I have to feel inspired to do so. I know some people flip a switch January 1 and march their way into the nearest gym to lose that five (ahem...fifteen) pounds that they've been talking about losing. With me motivation doesn't follow the calendar. It may be that February 3 or May 17 that is the day that I throw on my big girl sneakers and get serious. I might not even know it the night before. It just hits me. And so, here I am at the start of a calendar year and instead of offering my resolutions, I will instead call them my "hopes," the things that I hope to accomplish this year...until I wake up inspired to do something completely different.

12 Hopes for 2012
1. Empty out the tea cabinet
I have always completely ignored all rules about discarding spices and I find I do the same with my tea. I know that there is a particular window in which tea is the freshest. I know that aroma and taste degrade, yet I find it painful to discard teas, even mediocre ones. Thus, the teas pile up in the cabinet and the onslaught of tea samples that find their way to me only intensifies my problem. This year I hope to find the fortitude to rid the cabinet of teas I don't love, clearing space for the truly special ones that I do.

2. Begin Level 3 certification with the Specialty Tea Institute
I found the Level 1 and 2 Specialty Tea Institute classes to be an outstanding experience. I reviewed information I had already learned, gathered new knowledge, and gained valuable experience with tasting and cupping. Level 3 is a whole different animal - far more intense, a much bigger stretch for me. Because there are number of classes required for Level 3 certification and they are held across the country, I expect it will take me a few years to complete. It is with excitement, and a bit of trepidation, that I say that I hope to start my Level 3 certification.

3. Attend at least one or two more trade events
I had the chance to go to NY Coffee & Tea Fest back in 2008 and then didn't attend another trade event until this year's inaugural World Tea East in Philly. In 2012 I'd love to get back to the NY event (an opportunity to start that Level 3...) and maybe, just maybe, I'll overcome my aversion to Vegas and make it to World Tea Expo. Philadelphia too? Time will tell.

4. Become more comfortable with tasting sets
This might seem like a funny thing to list, but it's something I think is important. I'd love to get to the point where the mechanics of cupping come easily and smoothly, so I can be fully focused on the tasting and not the logistics.

5. Continue to participate with ITCC
I mentioned my great experience in 2011 with the International Tea Cuppers Club. I've already registered for the Assam tasting in 2012 and, if finances allow, I may try to do another this year. This program is another important way for me to hone my tasting skills.

6. Rework the blog to focus more on experiences and events rather than specific tastings
In the early days of my blog I spent a lot of time reviewing teas. It was my way of documenting my experiences and keeping track of what I liked. After four years I've placed less emphasis on that side of the blog. I prefer to focus on general impressions of the offerings of a company, rather than a specific tea. My tastes change season to season, even day to day, and teas, particularly single estate teas, can be quite varied over time because of weather, processing, picking conditions. In the future I think I'll be more likely to talk about the companies that show consistently solid and interesting options, as well as tea events I attend and experiences I have.

7. Explore some new vendors
Because so many samples arrive from vendors I have become a bit complacent in actively seeking new tea sources. This year I want to take better advantage of the wonderful tea community I know and call upon their expertise to point me to those gems that I may have missed.

8. Continue magazine work
I hope to continue to grow my magazine writing and copywriting work. I find the work challenging and a great way to strengthen my writing skills, because of the input of great editors.

9. Continue with readings and book events
"A Tea Reader" was such an important part of 2011 that I sometimes forget that the book has only been out for a few months. There are many audiences to reach yet and I look forward to continuing to do readings and other author appearances.

10. Complete proposal for new book and find a publisher
Yes, I have a new book project in the works. I'm in the process of writing the proposal and I'll start sending it out in the next couple of months. I'm hoping the publisher of my current book will bite, but if they don't, I'll work hard to find the right home for it.

11. Make it out to the west coast to explore some new tea spots
We haven't done nearly enough travel since the kids were born, for a whole host of reasons. I hope that this is going to be the year that we make our way to the west coast. There have been so many tea spots out there on my list that I look forward to diving in with both feet.

12. Relaunch the Tea Pages website
It is time. Before the blog was the Tea Pages website.

And now, as I fall asleep (quite literally) on my keyboard it is time for me to bid adieu. Here's hoping for a productive 2012 for all.

New Beginnings. New Year.

Happy New Year to all.

It's been a wild ride around here this Fall. We've dealt with kids with stomach bugs, pneumonia, and RSV which included a hospitalization; an October storm that resulted in a six day power outage; and having a deer run into our car on the way home from a book signing. On the positive (because there sure had better be some!) I met some amazing new tea friends, attended World Tea East, and had my first book reach bookstores.

In honor of the changing of years I wanted to engage in a little end of year nostalgia while offering some thoughts on the year ahead. So, here I present my Top 11 Hits of 2011.


Top 11 Hits of 2011
1. The Release of "A Tea Reader"
This was certainly one of the highlights of my professional life. Seeing my book in print, reading reviews, and talking to people who have read it is more amazing than I could have anticipated. We had so much fun at the launch party in Concord and I was delighted that both illustrators, Stephanie Sewhuk-Thomas and Kate Finnegan, were able to come. Hartley Johnson from Mark T. Wendell shared some great tea and we enjoyed treats from Concord Teacakes and Nashoba Brook Bakery. It was really special to have my kids there watching along with lots of other friends and family members. Other special readings and book events took place at Harney Soho, Clipper Merchant Tea House, the Old Town Museum, Dobra Tea, H3O Women's Ministry, Westford Museum, and The Cozy Tea Cart. You can find pictures of the events on our Facebook page and on the book website.

2. Helping to raise the profile of tea
Among the other rewards of having "A Tea Reader" reach bookstores and teashops, is that it provided a great way to promote tea. Certainly I was honored to see wonderful reviews of the book in tea publications like "Tea: A Magazine," "Tea Time," and many tea blogs. I was particularly gratified, though, to have the book selected for review in non-tea spots like Shelf Awareness, Publishers Weekly, and Monica Bhide's A Life of Spice blog. The year was topped off with the publication of an article for which I was interviewed in USA Today. The print version even included a picture of the book.

3. Meeting essayists and bringing others togetherThis is my last book-related item on the list, but it's a special one. What was interesting about this project was that much of the work of this book was done online. My conversations with essayists were mostly via email. The book's publication gave me the chance to finally meet some essayists and I expect to continue to meet others in the months and years to come. I kept a single copy of the book and I am having essayists and artists sign it as I meet up with them. I now have the signatures of both illustrators and six of the writers. The other thing that pleased me was seeing that some of the essayists had the chance to meet one another out at the Northwest Tea Festival.

4. Attending World Tea East
I had the chance to attend New York Coffee & Tea Fest a few years ago and an early iteration of World Tea East, but this was my first big trade show. World Tea East in Philadelphia was a fabulous time. I met some old and new blogger friends, got to do some writing work for World Tea News, attended some interesting workshops, tried new teas and products, and enjoyed two fun dinner with tea friends (one with brand new tea friends and one with some of my tea mentors.) You can find posts about the event here and the people here. My long promised post on products is still stuck in my brain.

5. Meeting John Harney and Norwood Pratt and reconnecting with Jane Pettigrew
Of course we all have those people in our professional fields who we admire. Two of my very early tea teachers were Jane Pettigrew and James Norwood Pratt. I read their books over and over and I always felt that they provided me with both knowledge and inspiration. I was delighted to have the chance to correspond with both of them and to have both as contributors to the book. I was lucky enough to talk with Jane on the phone and to travel to London to attend her Tea Masterclass in 2010. Now, here in 2011 I was able to see her again at World Tea East and to present her with a signed copy of the book. Philadelphia also afforded me the chance to finally meet Norwood Pratt in person and to hear him speak. I was not disappointed. He was kind and generous with his words and encouragement. It was a true pleasure. The unexpected meeting of the event was having the chance to talk with John Harney, founder of Harney & Sons, who was being awarded the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award. He was funny and warm and we have since had several conversations, including the first of several interviews we've planned. I am honored to have the chance to meet and thank these special mentors in person.

6. Joining Teatra.de and Twitter and "meeting" some great new bloggers
I have been blogging for awhile and have been fortunate to connect with some other writers whom I admire and learn from continually, especially those members of the Association of Tea Bloggers. This year brought me to a new group, Teatra.de, where I had the chance to republish my blog and to find a very different blog community. I found the "Beasts of Brewdom," a group of guys from across the globe who share their "manly" approach to tea, their irreverent takes on life, and their tremendous senses of humor. I also came upon some other bloggers who have renewed my energy for blogging and inspired me to think seriously about what a blog can really do.

7. STI Training
My trip to World Tea East also gave me the chance to take the first steps toward a professional goal of mine - Specialty Tea Institute certification. My Philadelphia adventures in September gave me the chance to complete Level 1 and Level 2 of the training. It was a great chance to review information about tea production, tea styles, and to practice cupping skills.

8. ITCC
This year I became a member of the International Tea Cuppers Club and participated in one of their cupping programs - First Flush Darjeeling. Organized by Dan Robertson, ITCC gives you the chance to taste a number of teas (8-10) of the same type so you can begin to see some of the variety within a specific type. It gave me a much better sense of First Flush Darjeelings and I also discovered the tremendous quality of product provided by Lochan Teas. It was great to compare my tasting notes with those of others and I'm looking forward to the upcoming Assam session.

9. Favorite new tea companies of 2011: Lochan Tea, Wild Tea Qi, Boston Tea Company, Persimmon Tree
This is a slightly dangerous category. I hate to call out "favorites" for fear of forgetting others, but I do want to mention some of my favorite finds of this year. I already mentioned Lochan Teas above. Wild Tea Qi has made me reconsider my ongoing fear of pu'erh. I received samples from Boston Tea Company and I have to confess that my expectations were a little low. I receive so many samples of flavored teas that are lacking so I brewed the first pot only hoping for a reasonable cup. I was really shocked with how well balanced the flavors were and what a nuanced tea they had created. I worked my way through several samples, continuing to have excellent pots of tea. While I don't drink a lot of flavored teas these days, Boston Tea Company is a company that I would turn to when I'm in that mood. Persimmon Tree Tea Company is the other company that has won my heart. They provided me with several samples that I can only describe as cravable. I can't get them out of my mind. Even now my heart sings just thinking of them. Their Coconut Creme and Mandarin Silk Oolong were unbelievable and I assure you that they will stay stocked in my tea cabinet.

10. Four year blogging anniversary
This is the year that my blog turned four. No longer a baby it is finding that it needed to stretch its legs a little. It spent the year in a growth spurt and is about to settle in to its own personality and spirit. Many of the bloggers who launched when I did have shuttered their blogs and I had moments where I also considered it. Instead I am now excited to see where it heads next.

11. My writing grows
Finally, I enjoyed growing my writing business in 2011. In addition to the book I took on a number of writing assignments for magazines and online publications. I spent much of the year writing steadily for World Tea News and I hope to be contributing again later in 2012. I began to reach out to companies to establish some consistent copywriting work. I was able to write for "Tea Time," "Fresh Cup," and "Living Without," this year and I look forward to pitching and earning new assignments in the months to come.

So those are the highlights of my 2011 in tea. Coming soon will be my "12 Hopes for 2012."

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Here I was about to pen a big end of year entry and ended up instead spending four days in the hospital with my littlest. Blah. I would have rather been writing to all of you.

I am still planning my annual end-of-year wrap up entry. Give me a couple of days to catch up!

In the meantime I wanted to comment on the latest tea news to hit my computer. It was announced today that Sara Lee has just purchased Tea Forte. (Here's the WSJ article.) This news was pretty stunning to me. As you may know I've done copywriting work for Tea Forte and have gotten to know a few of the staff members. I've interviewed the founder Peter Hewitt a few times and have loved knowing that this local company has grown itself to such a tremendous brand identity. I've admired their integrity and the heart and artistry that makes up the company.

Word is that Sara Lee has also purchased a European cafe chain and a foodservice coffee company and they intend to create CoffeeTeaCo, a company focusing on international coffee and tea. This will be a separate entity from their "meat products." The articles state that Tea Forte will run independently for a bit and then be integrated into their business fully.

Here's the good news - Tea has grown enough as a commodity that a company the size of Sara Lee is now looking to focus such substantial resources and attention to it. Tea Forte is a company that is focused on premium tea so Sara Lee wasn't just looking to take the cheap way out. Tea Forte's owner has built a brand from the ground up that he can be proud of and may now be able to grow in ways they couldn't have imagined.

My sadness - I'm sad to see this gem become less local. Maybe all will remain as it was and the West Concord facility won't change. I love popping into that place and seeing the great people who work there. I loved having the chance to do tea writing work face to face instead of by phone and email. I'll miss working with them in that way. Most of all I hope that this move is a positive one for Peter and his staff. They deserve nothing but the best.

That's my news of the day. I actually included some things about Tea Forte's great design work in Fresh Cup's annual Tea Almanac. You can also check out some of my past blog posts about the company here and here.