Tea Emperor

Recently Ozzy Osbourne has made some headlines in relation to tea. First he was featured in the Brisk Tea animated commercials and now everybody wants to know what he thinks about tea. Coming from England Ozzy loves his cup of tea and always enjoys a cup before going on to the stage. It is refreshing to see that tea starts to win some ground outside being an afternoon tea for grannies and elite.

Ozzy misses tea while writing autographs.

Photo by Kevin Burkett

All dressed up for the tea party.

All these beautiful ladies took part into BAFTA’s Award Season Tea Party 2011. This tea party is the real thing not one of those politically inclined groups that ruin the good reputation of tea.

This tea party has a long tradition of recognizing the filmmaking talent on both sides of the big water. BAFTA being originally a British association – I think this is a wonderful way to throw a party.

I have been mulling the plan of importing some blooming teas – or flowering teas if you prefer – because they have been in short supply here in Finland. Similarly various tools and pots that can be used to steep tea have been non-existent. It seemed like a good niche to position oneself – make a little webshop and sell to the small but growing market of tea educated Finns.

Forsman Tea finally introduced more variety to their product slate. They now offer blooming teas or flowering teas as well as all kinds of tea steeping related items.

DARK CLOUDS GATHER OVER THE TEA TREE FIELDS
(Please excuse me that long and winding subtitle – I have no idea why I wrote it) Now there is an obstacle on our way to becoming tea entrepreneurs and that obstacle is called Forsman Tea Company.

It is a small tea company in international terms but a HUGE LEVIATHAN OF A COMPANY IN FINLAND. It is bit like Microsoft used to be. They can sniper any budding competition in Finland by introducing specific products with cheap price to match new market entries and developments.

What should we do? Any ideas?

Global warming troubles tea farmers. Traditional tea cultivation areas are facing climate changes that influence the rainfall and temperature. Changes in average rainfalls and temperatures mean that once ideal conditions for example Assam tea cannot be found in the same elevation as before.

Gloom and doom over a tea farm.

Photo by Jakob Montrasio

WHAT THE GLOBAL WARMING MEANS TO A TEA FARM?

A tea farm that has been founded maybe one hundred years ago is now facing deep trouble. Farms have been using lot of money into investments that boost the tea production and into land purchases. Now these traditional tea farms find that their location is not so ideal anymore.

THE QUANTITY OF THE TEA CROP

The quantitiy of the harvested tea has dropped slightly because the changed weather but this is not a catastrophical change because the drop in production is usually compensated by the increase in the prices. The world has learned to drink tea in huge mugs and that has meant increased consuption. This is the reason why the low production quantity is not so pressing issue for a tea grower.

THE QUALITY OF THE TEA CROP

Here comes the trouble. Tea enthusiasts around the world have come to value specific tastes and tea blends and to get those special aromaone needs standard quality teas. Standard quality tea can only be grown in steady conditions. which are now qreatly affected by changing weather patterns stirred by the global warming phenomenon.

Imagine that you grow Assam tea and you have a long supply contract with some big tea company. That tea company supplies tea to the breakfast table of millions of people. Think what effect it would have if consumer would find their favourite tea tasting like – well – something else. Tea drinker would find another brand that suits her taste buds better.