We endured today's Copley Square farmers' market dampened by overcast skies and cool temperatures. Visions of summer were quite distant.. As challenging as the weather conditions proved to our business, the point of the day lay far from business metrics. Today I had the chance to share a special moment with my daughter as we attended our first market together. I look forward to many future such occasions.
As you most certainly noticed, all TeatherTM flavors contain white tea. White tea is simply the buds and young leaves from the tea plant (cameillia sinensis). In addition, it is the least processed form of tea and undergoes less oxidation than that of green tea.
Yes, there are real, honest-to-good, leaves (tea) in TeatherTM! So, why is white tea added? White tea offers the two-fold advantage of improving the product’s flavor and, possibly, its nutritional characteristics. It also sets TeatherTM apart from any other snack product we know of, and makes it truly worthy of the tagline: The Original Dried Whole Fruit & White Tea Snack Strips. From a flavor standpoint, our white tea ingredient contributes a pleasantly sweet and herbal flavor that compliments berries and other fruits quite well. Many teas for brewing sold today include added fruit. So why not add a little tea leaf to fruit?
Nutritionally, white teas offer a rich source of a class of phytonutrients known as catechins, such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Scientific research suggests tea, and catechins, may play a role in the prevention of many health afflictions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. It may also play a role in weight reduction. All such preventative roles are tentative at the present time and have not been conclusively confirmed by credible scientific studies. See the Linus Pauling Institute link below.
People often ask how much caffeine do the TeatherTM flavors contain. While no testing has been conducted to accurately verify the level, we believe it to be significantly less than that found in a cup of brewed tea or coffee. Also, significantly less than colas, and we believe even less than root beer. See the link below for a listing of caffeine content in many foods.
FOR MORE INFORMATION…
Linus Pauling Institute On Tea and Phytochemicals:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/tea/
Caffeine Content of Foods and Drugs:
http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm
An Interesting Blog Post About Caffeine in Tea:
http://chadao.blogspot.com/2008/02/caffeine-and-tea-myth-and-reality.html
I'm pleased to announce a TeatherTM product tasting scheduled for Thursday, July 23, 2009 from 9:00am to 12 noon at a Healthworks Fitness Centers for Women club. Healthworks is a premier group of fitness centers serving women within the Boston area. The tasting occurs as part of their Member Appreciation Day at the Chestnut Hill club. We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to share samples of TeatherTM with their members.
Our work over the past several months resulted in finally getting to Teather to market.
Two weeks ago Teather made its first appearance at the Copley Square Farmers' Market in Boston. We'll be selling Teather at the market (near the intersection of Boylston and Dartmouth streets) on most Tuesdays through November 24th. Free product samples are also available. The cold and rainy weather dampened turnout but not the overwhelming positive response. Nearly without exception, samplers raved about the authentic flavor and wholesomeness of using whole fruit and white tea. Last week, consumer feedback continued with very strong reviews while sales increased dramatically.
Later that first week, Allandale Farm (Brookline, MA) started selling the product. Within a week, most of the original product was sold. We've also begun selling at Lambert's Marketplace on Tremont Street (Boston). We plan to bring on a handful of stores during the summer. Please check the Teather website frequently to see our latest additions.
Today, we lauched the first version of the Teather website. Our plans include selling Teather through this website sometime later this summer. Stay tuned for more information.
Thanks for your support!