Golden Star Tea Company
Tea Radio (TM) is excited to introduce a new face to the tea world, Eddie Carden of the Golden Star Tea Company.
Eddie shares with Tea Radio (TM) a new way tea is made. This is a perfect product for our Tea Radio (TM) listeners who prefer to drink tea in different ways.
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Audio of the interview is provided in the link below. Link will play automatically. No downloading required. Just left click on the link. Link will play using you computer's media program.
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For more information on products and services of the Golden Star Tea Company click on the link below.
The product is going to be launched in early September. Email Golden Star Tea Company to be put on the list.
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Transcripts of the interview are avalible below.
Dawnya: I am here at the Golden Star booth at the World Tea Expo. Today I am sitting down with Eddie Carden from the Golden Star Tea Company. Now Tea Radio listeners you know that we are always on the search for new product lines and new fun innovative things that are happening with tea. Golden Star is about as innovative as you get, so Eddy I want to get to know you.
Tell me about you and about your history? How did you come into tea and then.... well first let’s talk about what Golden Star is? What is Golden Star?
Eddie Carden: Golden Star is a company that uses tea to create luxurious nonalcoholic beverages.
Eddie Carden: Effervescent.
Dawnya: Very much so. In fact I am drinking tea out of the champagne flute, which I love because that is just the way I like to drink tea anyway. Tell me then how did this idea come to you I mean you are new in the market? Tell us your story.
Eddie Carden: My background is I am a designer and the idea came really from the market. I noticed that there was a tremendous under severing of people who would be interested in having a luxurious culinary experience with a packaged beverage, but who were not interested in consuming alcohol. It did not seem like there were many companies that were interested in trying to provide that experience to the consumers, and so that was where we started.
It was essentially a big empty lot on the corner of the nonalcoholic and luxury, and we decided that we would try to create packaging that communicated that sort of luxury, that sort of higher end and then fulfill the promise. The packaging made by trying to put something in the package that is really delicious and it differentiates it self on the quality of the experience that it provides.
Dawnya: Well your packaging is loving, let talk about the bottles, because first of all they really would compete with any alcoholic beverage. It is unfortunate because most alcoholic beverages do have beautiful packaging so that’s where you started?
Eddie Carden: Yes! We picked the form factor that was referential to champagne. So we package in a 750 ml bottle and a 375 which would be commonly called a split in the industry. The idea there is that by referencing that form factor in our packaging we are communicating to our consumers the type of experience they can expect to have and also how they might like to use the product.
So it is just champagne! It would be something that you would give us a gift or use in a celebration or even mix with orange juice with breakfast. All of things apply to the product and we want the consumers to use it as they see fit. The form factor of the package tends to point them in the right direction in terms of what we are trying to communicate to them.
Dawnya: Now not only are we talking about luxury, but we are talking about health benefits, because we are drinking tea. Tell me about your product itself. It is kind of unique.
Eddie Carden: It is, yes. We don’t really push health benefits as a primary messaging because we really think of ourselves as being in the business of selling experience. However, the product happens to be very good for you so we certainly don’t deny that and we do talk about it. Sort of as a secondary message.
Its white tea so it is very high antioxidants. Also, because it is fermented there are number of polyphenols and esters that are created. Some of which are also quite good for you and its low in sugar. There is only less than 60 calories in an 8 ounce serving. You will get many of the same benefits you would find in a cup of white tea.
Dawnya: Well, I think that is an important aspect to talk about. Just because you know alcohol does not have those health benefits. So now you have this option of not only drinking luxurious, not only looking luxurious, but feeling great as well. So that is wonderful. I want to talk also about the sugar that you use because you use really an amazing type of sugar.
Eddie Carden: Yes, we started with a Brazilian cane sugar. Its raw and its evaporated and granulated. We use that as the basis where we start our fermentation so it is a gorgeous sugar. The Brazilians just really grow and produce the best sugar in the world. We are very very focused on origin. So although we have one flavor right now we planned to have more in the future. Our focus will always be on the quality of the ingredient that we start on, their origin, the story behind where they came. All these thing very important to us and sugar is a important ingredient.
Dawnya: So, well our listeners think a lot of times as consumers and as shops are looking to their origins now more and more. They are looking to see who is involved with what and feel good about the company that they support. So if I am a retail customer I can purchase your product, if I am a wholesale customer I can purchase your product. Is that right both?
Eddie Carden: Yeah, absolutely! We are a manufacturer. So we are not necessarily in the business of distribution or any of those other things. We produce the tea and we really use what means necessary to get it to the people that are interested in consuming it.
Dawnya: So people can follow the link below this and go directly over to the Golden Star website. Let’s talk just a little bit about few different things that would be great to use this for. You talked about gifts. I could see this could be great for a baby shower even, because pregnant mom can drink this. What are some other ways that we can use your product?
Eddie Carden: In general one of the things that we were really focused on when we started this was to try to make sure that we could pair it with food. There are so many opportunities in today’s restaurant environment to combine the beverage and the food. To create an experience that is not just an additive experience, but an experience.
Which multiples and so we wanted to make sure that it would be able to be used in that way. So, I think that because the pH is similar to champagne the effervescence is similar to champagne. A lot of the parings would also be similar. Leafy greens pairs beautiful with salads and particularly dark bitter greens, because it tends to cut through the bitterness a little bit.
Its wonderful with sea food especially with sushi. It is great with all kinds of deserts, but especially ones that focus on fruits. So a pair tart or an apricot souffle would be the kinds of deserts I would pair with. It is also good on its own. As I mentioned before. It works as a mimosa or a Bellini.
You could even make a Kir Royale and you would have a very very low alcohol cocktail. We want our customers to sort of pave the way and show us how they want to use it, but just you know that is the starting place is to think of it like a champagne that type of use.
Dawnya: Now I have to ask because every one is going to want to know there is chocolate right. You can definitely drink this with chocolate wouldn’t you say?
Eddie Carden: It’s wonderful with chocolate! Especially the jasmine notes that add a very sort of volatile aroma to them. It is just wonderful with especially dark chocolates. It is a great combination. Also, we have a number of vendors or manufactures I should says that make tea chocolates.
Its really interesting with what we found out if somebody make a jasmine tea truffle and we paired it with that. You were getting sort of two different references to jasmine in a single flavor experience and it was really exhilarating.
Dawnya: You could also cook with it I would assume. If there was something that called for something bubbly you could cook with it as well. So its lots of different ways that you can use the product and also again beautiful presentation for giving it as a gift. Now golden star how did you get the name Golden Star?
Eddie Carden: It was really just an inspiration, may be like poetry or something like. It was a way of trying to express a kind of a brightness. An aspirational type of a thought that we had when we wanted to create this. So there is nothing more to it than that.
Dawnya: Well I love it. Its bright yellow, it is nice and cheery. Tell me how you have been accepted within the tea industry. We have listeners that are you know tea business owners, but we also have listeners that are just new to the industry or just beginning to drink tea and want to know about the tea community.
Eddie Carden: Well I have been really gratified by how people, who are experts in this area have responded to what we have done. We are doing something unusual and in a category that has the kind of millennial history. This is a thousands of years that we have been using this plant in this way.
Its a little intimidating to come in and do something really new and sort of expect people to just accept, but I have been pleasantly surprised by how people have responded to what we have done. You know that the innovation is exciting to them not threatening to the tradition.
Dawnya: So tea is welcoming you and if you are like this really is a great community for you to be involved with.
Eddie Carden: Yes, extremely gracious people. We have made some good friends.
Dawnya: Excellent. Thank you so much for being with us Eddy. We are excited about Golden Star and we are looking forward to your new product lines and your new flavors that we can enjoy.
Eddie Carden: Thank you so much.
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To visit Golden Star Tea Company's web site, click on the link below.
The product is going to be launched in early September. Email Golden Star Tea Company to be put on the list.
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TEST YOUR TEA MAKING IQ
Directions: Put the steps listed below in order on how to make a cup of tea correctly. Enter the numbers 1 through 8 in the fields provided.
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Answers
| 1 | Fill the kettle with water. |
| 2 | Turn the kettle on and boil the water. |
| 3 | Place a tea bag in the cup. |
| 4 | Pour hot water into the cup with the tea bag. |
| 5 | Add milk to the tea. |
| 6 | Add one spoonful of sugar if desired. |
| 7 | Stir the tea with a spoon. |
| 8 | Enjoy your cup of tea. |
Enjoyed the interview and I'm interested in the product. The website doesn't have ordering information, however.
Also, I don't know what kind of picture was supposed to be uncovered in the IQ test, but it didn't work, in any case. Just thought you should know.
Posted by: Sarah | August 05, 2008 at 08:59 AM
Hi Sarah-
Glad you enjoyed the broadcast. You will have to contact Golden Star directly for wholesale info but they will be happy to chat with you.
We will fix the IQ test. Thanks for letting us know
Dawnya
Posted by: Dawnya | August 05, 2008 at 09:53 AM