A lawyer with a strong passion for tea.
Uppma Virdi, a 26-year-old Indo-Australian woman, has won the title of ‘Businesswoman of the Year’ by the Indian Australian Business and Community Awards (IABCA).
Virdi, popularly known as Chai Walli, is a lawyer working for a firm in Melbourne. But, her expertise in making traditional Indian tea has made her the businesswoman of the year, reported India Today.
She makes tea like every Indian, but with a difference. Her tea comes with a unique blend of different spices that makes it special.
She started her business two years ago after realizing that there is hardly any good tea places in Australia.
“In the Indian culture people come together through tea. Whether it’s a happy occasion or a difficult moment, tea is all pervasive. I tried, but couldn’t find many good tea places in Australia,” she reportedly told SBS.
“Interest in tea is growing in Australia as more and more people are seeking alternatives to coffee. It was coincidentally the right time for me. My real aim is to educate the Australian society about the Indian culture through tea,” she said.
Virdi is the granddaughter of an Ayurvedic doctor who used to make Ayurvedic chai blends. Born in India and brought up in Australia, Uppma learned how spices balance, their properties and the art of chai.
She created Chai Walli to share her grandfather’s deep-rooted knowledge and her passion of chai and spices. At Chai Walli, Uppma curates the most authentic and perfectly balanced chai blends that bring India nostalgia.
Chai Walli is sold across Australia, as well as through its e-commerce website, and collaborates with many Australian dessert houses and restaurants to create chai infused food and also run the Art of Chai workshops for consumers to learn about the Indian culture of chai.
(This post was revised on 11/3/2016)