Bigelow Tea Company
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Tea |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Founder | Ruth Campbell Bigelow |
| Headquarters | Fairfield, Connecticut, USA |
Key people |
David C. Bigelow, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO Cynthia Bigelow, President |
| Products | Teas & herbal teas |
| Revenue | $90 million |
Number of employees | 350 |
| Website |
www |
R.C. Bigelow, Inc, better known as the Bigelow Tea Company, is an American tea company based in Fairfield, Connecticut. The company was founded by Ruth C. Bigelow in the late 1940s, based on a recipe she marketed as "Constant Comment" tea. Bigelow is still a 100% family-owned business[1] that markets over 50 varieties of tea, including black and green, as well as herbal teas, all of which are still blended in Fairfield. They also own America's only tea plantation, in Charleston, South Carolina. Although still a privately held company, in 2009 their annual sales were reported to be about $90 million and they have 350 employees.[1]
Constant Comment
Constant Comment remains today one of Bigelow Inc.'s most popular products. It is a black tea flavored with orange rinds, and sweet spices.[2]
In 1945, New York Times food writer Jane Holt wrote about the newly introduced tea, praising it for "economy of use:"
| “ | Ruth Campbell Bigelow and Bertha West Nealey [are] both interior decorators whose enthusiasm for tea has led them to blend their own... an unusual and delicious brew called Constant Comment, which has just been introduced in city stores.... Unlike the ordinary sorts, it is so concentrated that a little goes a long way. For example, in preparing it, a scant half-teaspoon is recommended for three cups.... Several other varieties are in the process of experimentation in the laboratory.... The price ranges from 67 to 75 cents a [two-and-a-half-ounce] jar.[3] | ” |
A 1945 article by Clementine Paddleford tells this story about the origin of the name:
| “ | The tea was ready for market, but no name seemed to suit. Then it happened this way: One of Mrs. Bigelow's Park Avenue friends was giving an afternoon party, and it was suggested she try the new blend. Not a word was said to the guests regarding its novelty, yet everyone spoke of the tea's aroma, its flavor—there was “constant comment.” A good name, why not? Labels were made and the tea was hurried to the stores, where it is selling at around 75 cents for the two-and-one-quarter ounce jar. Expensive? But here's a tea so flavorful that three quarters of a teaspoon make six bracing cups of aromatic spiciness.[4] | ” |
See also
- Charleston Tea Plantation
- Earl Grey tea, the English tea blend with a bitter citrus flavor, but no spices
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Hoovers article on R.C. Bigelow, Inc.". Accessed in 2010. It lists David Bigelow and Eunice Bigelow as Co-Chairmen and Co-CEO's, and Cynthia Bigelow as President.
- ↑ Bigelow Constant Comment tea description
- ↑ Holt, Jane (1945), "News of Food: New Tea Mixture Appears in the Market; Economy of Use a High Recommendation" The New York Times, May 21, 1945, p. 16
- ↑ Clementine Paddleford (July 1945). "Food Flashes". Gourmet Magazine. Retrieved 2009-02-01.