Every Indian family has their own recipe and method for making Chai. There is no such thing as a “traditional” or “authentic” method or recipe. There is no single universally best Chai and to claim that ours is the best would be preposterous. 

Instead, we claim that we love it and many of our customers love it. We claim that it is more important for us to bring you a Sticky Chai Blend that is full of depth and character than it is for us to serve one that is just unassuming, inoffensive and beige. We want to excite. And most importantly, we claim that flavour, ethics and environmental conservation are the very basis of our business.

     

Here at The Chai Villain, we operate according to these Ten Fundamental Tenets.  

1. We will always be fiercely small-batch and independent.

2. We are proudly brown-owned and we stand in solidarity with other brown-owned Chai companies.

3. We will never package our Chai in brown/beige bags, except perhaps for comic effect.

4. We will never exploit Indian/ Hindu/ Buddhist/ South Asian culture or practices for the sake of selling Chai.

5. We will work continuously to reduce our impact on the environment. And this isn’t simply a greenwashing exercise. We have done our research and we are driven by facts.

6. We will not compromise on the quality of our ingredients.

7. We take a scientific approach to flavour development. “Love” is not a valid ingredient. We choose flavour over convenience. 

8. We endeavour to share our knowledge with our faithful followers (Subscribe to our mailing list. Link below).

9. We take feedback seriously (Let us know what you think by leaving a review, good or bad).

10. We will never, ever, for the love of The Villain, say "Chai Tea".

 

We are immigrants. We acknowledge the Wathaurong, Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate.