Meet ChaiWallahs of Maine

Chai Wallahs of Maine began with a simple idea: that the best conversations happen over a cup of tea. That’s why we’re excited to work with them to produce our new Chai for Community, a delicious blend of assam black tea and spices that’s perfect for bringing community together.

Ruthie and Leigh got their start in 2009 by serving their chai at farmers markets and country fairs near their home in rural Maine (just a few miles away from Narrative Food on Deer Isle). They noticed something right away — friends and strangers alike would gather around their stand with their cups and connect through the magic of this shared experience. Soon, their community was asking how to recreate it in their own homes, and Ruthie and Leigh became “chai wallahs” (roughly translating to someone involved in the activity of making chai) of Maine. 

Today, they blend the finest organic spices and tea in small batches to be served in homes across the state. But for Ruthie and Leigh, they hope their customers enjoy not just the flavor but the preparation itself. 

“Customers have shared with us their appreciation of how slow-cooking chai offers an opportunity to pause and be present,” Ruthie says. “From sitting around the kitchen table with a friend to bringing a camp stove out into the wilderness, we love the experience of pausing as we tend the cooking pot and then sipping the chai’s warmth amongst friends, amidst the trees and moss of the Maine woods, on a wind-swept rocky shore, or in a moment of solitude.”

As their small business has grown, Ruthie and Leigh have also connected with the growers and makers they source from. In an effort to understand the complete journey of their ingredients, they visited two communities of rooibos farmers in the Cederberg region of the Western Cape of South Africa. This very small region is the only place in the world where rooibos naturally grows.

“We spent an afternoon with several of the farmers from the Wupperthal Rooibos Cooperative. Sharing tea and stories, we sat and learned of their community’s history and relationship with Rooibos. Sitting in an outdoor kitchen, sharing laughs and tales, pointing out to the steep hills that surround their village, learning of what they hope for their cooperative’s endeavors… we felt the deep intention of being a part of this web that is the heart of blending spices and teas.”

They also visited the family-owned-and-operated Skimmelberg Rooibos Farm. Walking the fields with the farmers who tend them, they witnessed firsthand the rooibos plant's remarkable adaptation to its native landscape—the only place on Earth where it naturally grows.

As Ruthie says, “Participating in this global web is foundational to being a part of this business.” This awareness informs the

ir approach to everything they do, including their commitment to giving back. They support organizations like GITA Giving to benefit the communities from which their ingredients originate and Wabanaki REACH to support the self-determination of Wabanaki people through education, truth-telling, restorative justice, and restorative practices in Maine.

For ChaiWallahs of Maine, preparing chai is an opportunity to pause, connect, and honor traditions while creating new ones—a small but meaningful way to cultivate mindfulness and community in everyday life.

We are proud to feature Ruthie and Leigh’s chai as our Chai for Community (available now in Ready-to-Ship Gifts, Subscription “Coffee Break” Boxes, Build-Your-Own For Good Boxes, and of course, Custom Projects). Join us and enjoy their chai in your community.