I was recently invited to a “trunk show” by Steve Smith. I had never heard of such an event at a tea shop, but thought it was well worth checking out. Not surprisingly, the evening was innovative and fun. He had selected various local artisans to display their tea-themed wares. Of course, Smith Tea was free flowing throughout the event. One very interesting offering was a black tea that had been aged in an oak barrel. Their master blender, Tony Tellin, who came with Steve from Tazo, shared the details of innovation with those who were interested. Given his long-standing relationship with Steve, Tony has a relatively free hand in experimenting with new ideas for blends and RTDs. He’s also an amazing craftsman, which he does in his “spare time.” I couldn’t resist buying a hand-made tray he had created.
Steve launched his tea cup line at the trunk show. Although touted as “hand made,” they’re actually made in a mold and slip cast. By Chinese standards, this would not qualify as truly hand made. The artisan did explain that quite a bit of special attention and detailing are required for each piece, so it really does give a hand-made feel to each lovely cup.
Another unique offering were textiles, again from local artisans. Although I’m not a tea cozy person myself, I found the whimsical designs quite appealing. Chocolates infused with Smith Tea was another showstopper, with samples being given throughout the evening. As a major chocolate person, it was wonderful to be able to pair my two favorite things – tea and chocolate.
Steve was his exuberant self, playing the crowd – and boy was it crowded – and making up special drinks for those he chose to delight. As Smith Tea becomes increasingly prominent in Portland, Oregon, I’m wondering how he’ll be able to hold back the tide of national distribution. I recall during my initial interview with him, when he first launched his new shop, he promised to keep his small-batch teas local, extending only throughout Oregon. I’m thinking he’s having a change of heart. Time will tell, but if I were a betting person…
When I was up in Menlo Park, California, in September, a friend took me to a high-end grocery store there with a rather extensive tea offering. Among the teas available were Smith Teas, which I remembered from our visit to Smith Tea in Portland. So it appears you would have won your bet!
Michelle – thanks for such a clear and descriptive view into this event. Given Steve’s penchant for entrepreneurial successes in the tea industry, it’s not surprising that he brings creative and intelligent marketing strategies to his new business. It’s also not surprising (as Erika has just informed us), that he would have started to feel that itch to eventually spread his wings and fly over to, at least, neighboring states. As is the wont of entrepreneurs, it will be interesting to see how long Steve Smith teas stays in his captainship before he begins navigating to new waters.
I think it’s safe to say he’ll have this one for quite some time. I see him grooming his teenage son for the helm one day.
Michelle – We so appreciate you attending and then writing such a insightful view of the Trunk Show event. I’m sure Steve didn’t mean to lead you astray about his keeping this business “small”. We are definitely focused on our small batches, freshly blended and hand-packed teas, but have been distributing to our friends in New York, San Francisco and the likes from the get go. Our Tea Shop on the web also requires us to deliver Smith wherever the post man goes and we are happy to do it. Creating a sustainable business means being available in many channels. We apologize if there was any mis-information given. And yes, Jack is our budding tea taster. Be well, Kim