Steven Smith, at a cheese and tea pairing
in August, 2013
"The man breathed in deeply - of rosebuds and mint, of sunny meadows and salty cliffs, of streams in no hurry and the sound of bagpipes."~Ethel Pochocki, Wildflower Tea, 1993
This quote reminds me of Steven Smith, who got his business start with "tea" by selling herbal blends along the West Coast. He was a major player in the birth of both Stash and Tazo, and most recently Steven Smith, Teamaker. Smith died this week and obituaries have been run far and wide, including this one in the New York Times and another from Oregon Live.
I am grateful for the small, connected and caring tea community around the world.
I was saddened to read about his passing earlier this week. What a great contribution he made to the world of tea. My prayers are with his family. Thank you for your tribute.
ReplyDeleteGreat send-up, Steph. Glad you had the opportunity to meet him as well. He was a swell guy.
ReplyDeleteHow I enjoyed taking the class with you and Steven Smith. What special tributes have been written in tribute to this special tea man. He will be missed.
ReplyDeleteI am planning a trip to Portland this summer, started researching local tea venues two weeks ago and found out about Steve through his store via yelp. I didn't realize his contributions to Stash and Tazo. Most importantly it sounds like he was an admirable man. Thank you for this tribute.
ReplyDeleteSad news in the tea world. His contribution was great and he will be missed.
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