Jun 2024
June was a month full of different trade shows and tea festivals. While they seem exhausting, it truly is a key highlight of my month as it lets me connect with our customers and actually meet them face-to-face. The month has plenty of exciting news which I want to share with you.
What’s happening at Nepal Tea Collective?
- We recently participated in the Summer Fancy Food Show, a fun event where we met numerous wholesalers and distributors in the beverage industry. The experience was invaluable as we prepare to launch our compostable tea bag line in retail stores. This initiative is driven by our goal to increase the volume of teas from all the farms we collaborate with. Ultimately, our farmers and producers depend on us to provide them with market access. If you have any experience working with distributors or retailers, I would love to connect and learn more.
- We also exhibited at the Portland Tea Festival, showcasing our customer favorites: Everest Black, First Flush, and Chai Concentrate. It was heartwarming to meet so many of our loyal customers and wholesalers. A special highlight was reconnecting with Penny, who joined our tea tour this year and helped us tremendously during the festival. The bond we share with our customers over a mutual love for tea is truly special.
- Next, we'll be attending the DSM Tea Festival at Des Moines Heritage Center, Iowa, on July 21. This is the first tea festival in Iowa, organized by Deep from Mayalu Coffee, one of the cafes in Des Moines that works with us for their tea needs. The idea for the tea fair came from a conversation we had to invite me over for a tea tasting session for his customers at his cafe, which has now evolved into a full-blown tea festival.
- I also met Veerinder from The Tao of Tea. It turns out he knew my grandfather and some of the tea producers we work with from decades ago. We are hoping to collaborate with him and help him bring in some of the teas from our farm in Nepal.
- Meeting our wholesale partners is always refreshing. Recently, Nischal and I had inspiring conversations with the founders of Dona Chai and Teatulia Organic Teas. It's humbling to connect with peers who share our passion for tea.
- Our team at Nepal Tea Collective is growing! We’re thrilled to introduce Zidan, our latest team member and a passionate soccer fan. Zidan has been my roommate since sophomore year in college, and it’s great to reconnect and work with someone I know so well. You’ll be receiving emails from him soon!
- With six months behind us, we’ve been reflecting on our journey in 2024 and planning for the rest of the year. It’s exciting to see how motivated everyone is to spread the love of tea worldwide. I’d love to hear how 2024 has been for you and what exciting plans you have for the rest of the year!
What's happening at the farm in Nepal?
The second flush production began last month and is still ongoing. We’re preparing all our signature teas like White Prakash, Kumari Gold and Shangri-La Oolong in this flush, and the production seems promising and robust. If you’d like more information about the teas we’re preparing, please reply to this email, and I’ll provide the details.
Looking forward to sharing more exciting updates soon!
Leave a comment