I am exceedingly proud to report that CHA DAO has been ranked among the 'Top 10 Tea Blogs That Aren't Trying To Sell You Something,' a list by Daren Spence at www.blogs.com. Of his rationale in choosing those ten sites, Daren says, 'I selected the following blogs because tea has become big business and as such tea companies purporting to be your friend are actually trying to sell you something. The following blogs (in alphabetical order) simply celebrate tea in all of its slightly quirky glory. Enjoy!'
Of CHA DAO specifically, he remarks: 'This blog is dedicated to the musings of a number of tea aficionados with a shared love of all things tea. Although the blog is undoubtedly accomplished in terms of depth of knowledge, it is more a forum for the discussion on the joy and beauty of tea and is nowhere near as stuffy as some of the other more high-brow tea blogs.' I could hardly be more pleased, as this is very much my vision for what CHA DAO can and should be.
Here's a little bit about Daren himself:
Daren Spence owns Wearetea.com, an online and bricks and mortar tea business attempting to do things a little differently. His previous life as an accountant did little to prepare him for starting a tea business but he and his wife decided to pursue their passion for tea and have a go regardless. They opened the doors of their tea shop near St. Paul's Cathedral in London in 2007. He also writes (sporadically) about the trials and tribulations of running a tea business in his blog Teaconomy - Tales from the Teashop.Hearty thanks to Daren for his kind words about all of us at CHA DAO -- congratulations on his recent wedding -- and best of luck to the happy couple as they forge ahead in the world of tea, particularly in this uncertain economy.
Plaudits, too, on the conscientious way in which they are pursuing their enterprise: I note with further pleasure that they are in the process of joining the Ethical Tea Partnership; the coffee they serve is Rainforest Alliance-certified; and their hot chocolate and sugar are fair trade. While it's true that we at CHA DAO do not sell anything, it is equally true that we are deeply interested in what is involved in buying tea and its accoutrements. And in a world gone mad in so many ways, those are just the directions in which tea vendors today ought to be moving.
