Starbucks partners with Oprah Winfrey to create Teavana Oprah Chai Tea

New beverage will debut in Starbucks, Teavana stores April 29

Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Co. announced a new collaboration with Oprah Winfrey to co-create Teavana Oprah Chai Tea. Beginning April 29, Teavana Oprah Chai Tea will be sold in Starbucks and Teavana stores across the United States and Canada, with Starbucks making a donation for each product sold to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation to benefit educational opportunities for youth.

Oprah Winfrey personally developed the tea with Teavana’s leading teaologist, Naoko Tsunoda. The tea blends cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves with loose-leaf black tea and rooibos. It will be available in handcrafted latte and loose-leaf tea formats.

“I looove tea,” said Winfrey in a statement. “My daily tea ritual is a vital part of my morning. Savory and spicy chai, with its deep flavor, has long been a favorite of mine. When [Starbucks Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer] Howard Schultz offered to have me come into the Starbucks tasting room and create my very own tea blend, I thought that sounded like such a unique opportunity and fun to the 10th power. To share one of my favorite things with the rest of the world and support youth education at the same time is truly the perfect blend."

Schultz added in a statement: “With the introduction of Teavana Oprah Chai, we are going to elevate the tea experience in the same way we did for coffee. Partnering with Oprah Winfrey in the creation of this distinctive and remarkable tea is a strong next step forward in accomplishing this objective, while also giving back in a meaningful way through the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation. I am personally humbled to work with such an inspirational leader and visionary who shares so many of our core values and beliefs. I truly believe that, together, we will set the bar for a world-class tea experience at Starbucks and Teavana.”

The company also unveiled www.steepyoursoul.com, a new online destination built around the concept of community featuring original videos and articles that inspire moments of reflection and an insider's look behind the scenes at how this partnership came together and how Oprah "steeps her soul." And starting March 23, as an extension of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network’s “Super Soul Sunday” series, Oprah will engage with spiritual thought leaders, best-selling authors and filmmakers about how they personally “steep their souls.” The site also features information about the new Teavana Oprah Chai and the youth education organizations that will be supported through this partnership.

In other news, Starbucks recently launched a new store concept called Teavana Fine Tea + Tea Bars in Seattle and New York. The new tea bars feature a carefully curated assortment of handcrafted tea beverages, premium loose-leaf teas, tea-inspired food offerings and tea merchandise, making the ritual of tea more elevated and accessible for customers. Now, Starbucks announced that it plans to open additional Teavana Fine Tea + Tea Bars in Chicago, Los Angeles and additional stores in New York City later this year. The Tea Bars also will offer Teavana Oprah Chai.

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