About Us
We are a woman-owned chai company based in Maine.
We’ve always loved the conversations and connection that arise when people come together around a warm mug or glass of morning tea or coffee.
Chai is a word for tea in numerous languages. Masala chai originates from India and is comprised of a blend of black tea and spices.
Wallah means someone involved in an activity in Hindi and Urdu as well as other languages.*
We include both in the name of this business out of great respect for and recognition of the history, heritage, and tradition of making and serving chai. Though every chai wallah we have met has had their own way, they all were a distinct part of the experience of sharing in the chai they were brewing, pouring, and serving.
Chai is a word for tea in numerous languages. Masala chai originates from India and is comprised of a blend of black tea and spices.
Wallah means someone involved in an activity in Hindi and Urdu as well as other languages.*
We include both in the name of this business out of great respect for and recognition of the history, heritage, and tradition of making and serving chai. Though every chai wallah we have met has had their own way, they all were a distinct part of the experience of sharing in the chai they were brewing, pouring, and serving.
We began serving chai at markets and fairs here in Maine in 2009. We so appreciated the interactions that arose as people gathered and lingered while sipping chai. Folks would ask how to make chai in their own homes. And so we began preparing and offering a blend of spices and black tea in packaged form to create a way for others to make chai and enjoy not only the flavor but the cooking itself.
Customers have shared with us their appreciation of how slow cooking chai offers an opportunity to pause and be present. From sitting around the kitchen table with a friend to bringing a camp stove out into Maine’s wilderness, we love the experience of pausing as we tend the cooking pot and then sipping the chai’s warmth amongst friends, amidst the trees and moss of the Maine woods, on a wind-swept rocky shore, or in a moment of solitude.
We are grateful to be a part of this business. And humbled by the complexity inherent in being a part of this business.
It is important to us that we are engaged in and honoring the web that lends to us being able to offer this chai to you and that we are supporting more kind, just, and sustainable ways and initiatives throughout all the components of engaging with this web. We hope to approach this with humility and care.
We also hope to be part of a shift in business that is based in much deeper care of people and the Earth.
We have been grateful to learn about the wonderful organizations below and to be able to donate a portion of our proceeds to and through them. We are also grateful for the opportunities that come our way to give back on an ongoing basis.
We donate through GITA Giving to engage with the greater web of peoples and lands from which our ingredients and the traditions of chai originate. We donate to Wabanaki REACH in recognition of the history of the land where we live and the people whose home this has been long before we came to live here.
Please feel free to reach out with other ideas and connections so that we can continue to make this business one that is about honoring and supporting the greater web involved in making this chai available to you. We are excited to continue to do this ever more thoughtfully, together with you.
And as we love the way a warm cup of chai brings people together, so too we love how this business has brought us in touch with all of you. Many thanks to you all, Leigh and Ruthie
*We drew from Wikipedia for these definitions.
