Out of all of the places in the world that you would expect to find a great cup of chai, Ireland probably doesn’t jump to the forefront of your mind, right?

While on a gap year in 2017, I spent some time in the North East of India, especially in the Assam and Darjeeling tea gardens. This is where I had my first ever taste of masala chai (spiced tea). Every day, we were offered cup upon cup of this delicious, steamy, brown liquid in little villages and tea garden communities. I was unaware at the time that this renowned drink would have a lasting impact on me.

To be honest, I forgot about chai shortly after arriving home as every time I ordered a “chai latte”, I was incredibly disappointed at the non-traditional powdered or syrup-based drink offered! It wasn’t until Covid hit, when I was furloughed for seven months and coffee shops were closed, that I decided to set about making my own natural, loose-leaf chai.

After approximately thirty-five different variations, a lot of frustration and family members refusing to drink any more chai, I finally landed on our Original Chai Blend. This is now our most popular chai, containing Fairtrade black Assam tea, seven spices, fresh ginger and, to add a little sweetness, local Northern Irish honey.

Honey plays a large part in our chai. We opted for honey instead of sugar and last year took on our own bees to help in the work. We are loving the journey of bringing loose-leaf chai to the Northern Irish market. This process of tea production coupled with managing bees makes for an interesting job description, but we are loving every moment of it!
Email -  info@chalachai.com.

Website - www.chalachai.com

Instagram - @chala_chai