Chai News - September 2023
We're on the run up to summer now and it's an understatement to say we are excited (yes even those of us in Melbourne) ??
We've got some amazing things planned for our cold brew fans, Iced lattes are out and Cold Brew Chai is in ?? Make sure to keep an eye out for your invoices later this month, there may be something exciting attached ??
Hopefully you've seen some stickers floating around, while we don't condone vandalism we can make a moral exception if it includes Prana Chai stickers.
In this month's newsletter we'll also cover:? ? ?
? A Barista League Bonanza?? ? ?
If you hadn't heard...Prana Chai is the official chai of The Barista League 2023????????
Not only are we a sponsor, we're joining in on the competition this year with a new segment, competitors will be able to?choose a non-coffee drink to prepare, and you guessed it, chai is one of them ?? We're coming for you coffee ... ??
Aside the barista competition, we'll be running a grueling, high intensity competition of Prana Pong with the winner scoring $500. For anyone feeling tough enough to take on our challenge, here are our event dates:
Bristol - September 9th
Melbourne - September 22nd
Madrid - October?
Check out more deets on the competition here.
We sat down (virtually) with Jordy, the project manager for The Barista League Melbourne, to find out all of the goss on the infamous BL Events.
How did the idea for The Barista League come about?
The idea was to create an event that was accessible for actual working baristas – free to compete, no extensive training period, no need for specific equipment or long expensive trips to far away cities. Basically you should be able to finish your shift, show up with your teammate and have an amazing time!?
How do you think The Barista League is different from other competitions?
Aside from making a more accessible and fun competition, the idea is to fill a room with the best roasters, baristas, distributors and companies in that city and give them the chance to meet each other and network.?We put a lot of effort and energy into making the event just as fun for the team that comes last as well as the winner – it's really all about having a good time and connecting with other great coffee people more than the scores and rules.
What are the benefits for companies to align or support The Barista League?
It's a great opportunity to meet all of the people from the industry in one room! That might be finding your next colleague or a future business partner or wholesale account. Or it could just be getting inspiration or trying some new machines or crazy coffee from some of the most exciting companies and people in the industry.
Any advice for Barista’s who may want to compete one day?
Don't hesitate, find a teammate and sign up! It's totally free and you can win a trip to origin!
This month, we visited a close partner of ours from Copenhagen, Denmark.
Kaffe was built nearly 13 years ago with a focus on sustainability and an aim to create an inclusive environment which would encourage visitors to engage.
Lasse, the owner, took over in 2016 and in his own words, has a passion for quality.?
We are stoked that not only does Kaffe love our chai almost as much as we do, but has seen a distinct uptake in chai since bringing Prana on board their menu. One of the main goals of Prana Chai was, and still is, helping cafes drive business through amazing chai ??
So you may have seen coffee cupping, where roasters and baristas taste their brews by slurping teaspoons of black coffee, but here at Prana Chai we do tea cupping ??
Every three to six months we taste a range of tea from suppliers around the globe to ensure we are always sourcing the highest quality?we can.?
We can't tell you exactly what we look for, trade secrets and all, but Rad and Vincent, our tea aficionados look for a lighter taste profile and a light orange colour so that our spices remain the most prominent flavour in our chai.
It's important to us that we not only confirm the quality of the tea we already source, but also taste new batches.
Because we hand make our chai, every batch will have a veeeery slight difference, so ensuring our ingredients?are consistent and up to scratch means we can continue producing quality?chai. ??
If you're looking for more quali-tea info, have a read of our blog post all about tea.