Perfect for a Cool Fall Morning, Bigelow Tea hits Minneapolis

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This post is written on behalf on behalf of Bigelow #AmericasTea and #CollectiveBias, but all sarcasm, awkward photos, and happy dances are my own.

Fall is in the air here in Minnesota, and that means that we are pulling out our hoodies and pining for steaming hot beverages.  Ok, happy dance dork moment, but I am SUPER excited about my new love. What is that new love Bigelow Tea Spiced Chai. You guys know I am normally a coffee gal, but  when I was in Seattle I had a chance to actually meet Cindy Bigelow for the International Food Blogger conference. Hearing her speak was so amazing. That girl really knows her tea!

Cindi exuded passion for what her grandmother built up from the ground. Not only is she passionate, but she is knowledgeable too. During this event, I learned SO much about tea including that some teas have near as much caffeine as coffee! And let’s be honest it really tastes better too! There’s no need to sugar it up or load it down with creamer just to drink it. (Ok, well that’s how I used to drink it.)

What’s so great about their tea? Where do I start? First off, it’s an American based company that has been around 70 years this year. It’s always a good thing to support made in America. Another goodie is they are extremely passionate about providing the best quality ingredients they can find. Cindy shared so many awesome tips about tea and how their products are sourced. Being a CEO  you wouldn’t think she would be so involved in the process, but she shared she often visits the farms where their tea is harvested to make sure the tea plants are top notch! Which is pretty impressive considering their tea plantation is America’s largest working tea garden.

Their tea plantation isn’t just a place they produce their tea, it’s built in the culture of Charleston. The plantation is open to the public so they can share in Bigelow’s passion. Weddings are hosted there. They give tours of the plantation and grounds, and they even have musical festivals for guests to enjoy a few times a year. Bigelow is really big about giving back to the community? Don’t believe me? Then check out their Tea for Troops program where the send 4 MILLION bags of tea to service members overseas!

Cindy’s passion was contagious at IFBC, so when I heard that the Bigelow Tea Mobile Tea bar was rolling into town I jumped at the chance to see it! It was headed to the Twin Cities Marathon, which starts in Minneapolis and ends at the Capitol Building in St. Paul.

The morning we headed to the tea bar, there was definitely a nip in the air. One of the “great” things about Minnesota is how the temperatures seem to plumett overnight. Just the night before it was over 60, but not that  morning. It was a crisp 40 degrees.

The mobile tea bar was super easy to spot because there was a HUGE line of runners and spectators waiting in line for a little liquid warmth. We were just excited there was an area in the bar that you could go inside and escape the wind.

The inside of the bar was really cool. It had a little history of Bigelow tea including one of the handpainted metal tins for Constant Comment (the tea that got it all started). There was also a super cute little seating area where you can grab a free sample of Bigelow tea and sit for a while. This is where you know I parked my butt! Plus, they weren’t stingy in the samples department. There may or may not have been a happy dance with the Bigelow tea coupons and samples I snagged to take home with me!

 

We had a great time checking out the tea bar, and if you live near one of the next cities you should really check it out. Here is where the Bigelow Mobile Tea Bar is headed to next.

• Jewel-Osco Supermarket, Gurnee, IL – Oct. 9, 2014
• St. Charles Scarecrow Festival, St. Charles, IL – Oct. 10-12, 2014
• Seattle Marathon, Seattle, WA – Nov. 30, 2014
• Microsoft Corporate HQ,  Redmond, WA – Dec. 1, 2014
• Christmas in the Park,  San Jose, CA – Dec. 5-8, 2014
• San Francisco Wharf,  San Francisco, CA – Dec. 13, 2014
• San Diego Naval Base, San Diego, CA-  Jan 21, 2015

 

 

Want to learn more about Bigelow Tea, make sure to follow them here:

• Main page:  https://www.bigelowtea.com
• Bigelow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigelowtea
• Bigelow Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bigelowtea