STORY BY MICHAEL HARDEN, PHOTOS BY LOULOU CHILDS PHOTOGRAPHY

Not so many years ago in Australia, if you were without Indian heritage or hadn’t travelled in India, it’s unlikely you’d be familiar with chai. Marsala chai (loosely, “spiced tea”) has come a long way since then, earning a place on an increasing number of cafe menus across the country. The sweet, warmly aromatic, milky black tea-based beverage may not yet have reached the saturation levels of coffee, but its fans can be as intense, fanatical and discerning as the coffee clique. Just ask Caitlin West, the founder of chai specialist company Calmer Sutra Tea.

Twenty years ago, West was working in the hospitality and fitness industries but wanted her own “career journey”. She wasn’t sure what that would be until she attended ConFest, the long-running alternative lifestyle festival and tasted chai for the first time.

“Without wanting to sound too dramatic, it was a transformative experience,” she says. “I became obsessed with this drink and the rituals surrounding it and my obsession evolved into my business.”

“I never drank coffee and always felt like I was missing out on some secret club. When I discovered chai, I felt like I’d found my sacred drink. The only problem was that next to no cafes offered it so I would take the blend I made at home to my local cafe and ask if they’d make it for me, so I could sit with my friends while they drank their coffee. From there I suggested they offer it to some of their other regulars and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Two decades later, Calmer Sutra is available in cafes and retail spaces across the country with a range of products that includes organic loose-leaf teas, tisanes, spiced cacao and vegan versions of their best-selling fresh or “wet” chai mixes that are the foundation of Calmer Sutra’s success.

“Wet chai generally refers to the inclusion of a “wet” or “sticky” binding agent such as honey,” says Caitlin. “Traditionally in India chai tea is brewed for hours and sweetened with sugar. Honey, which we source from regional Victoria, makes our blend a healthier option. Honey is also a wonderful natural preservative. It preserves the fresh ginger we use and enhances the flavour.”

So what makes a good chai?

“For me, it’s all about balance; the seamless marriage of sweetness and spice and that all important ginger warmth. I use fresh ginger to really bring home that authentic zing which lingers on your throat and I also prefer a chai heavier on the spices and more subtle on the tea front.”

Balance is important to Caitlin and she credits Daylesford for helping her see that.

“I was nursing a broken heart and feeling burnt out from relentless hours working on my small business and decided I needed a mini-hiatus in this quaint country town called Daylesford I kept hearing about. I spent most of my time feeling bored and listless, pushing to find some joy or peace but on my last day, I rented a canoe on Lake Daylesford. I was paddling around, enjoying the sun on my face when I began hearing the sound of angelic singing voices. I saw a group of people singing acapella on the shore and the melody was so divinely sweet, time slowed down, all the little worry melted away and I suddenly felt reconnected to myself and all that is good in the world. That simple moment has stayed with me always and still informs the way I approach my business.

“I’ve never been one for formal business plans but I realised my philosophy is to create products with integrity that have a positive impact on as many chai sippers out there as possible. It’s about the chai and never about the buck.”

Calmer Sutra

9553 2836

www.calmersutratea.com.au