An Aberystwyth woman has launched a new business thanks to a scheme from the Welsh Government that gave her ‘the symbol of the company’ in the form of an electric cargo bike.
Sally Pierse this month launched The Chai Bike (Y Beic Chai), a company that sees her using the e-cargo bike as a traveling ‘shop window’ where she sells homemade Masala Chai tea.
Ms Pierse said: “Masala chai tea is a traditional Indian drink. I mix freshly roasted herbs and ginger, which I then grind into a paste with a mortar. It’s slightly different from a chai latte, but it’s also a lot healthier as it’s infused with antioxidants that come from ingredients like ginger.”
Sally Pierse uses an e-cargo bike for her company The Chai Bike (Photo supplied)
Just a few days into the company’s trip, Ms. Pierse said it has already given her a new sense of purpose.
She said: “I want my business to create a sense of well-being and make people happy. It has already given me a new purpose. The company and the bike have allowed me to reconnect with the community I call home.
“The bike is the symbol of the company, it’s my storefront – it’s essential. I am excited to see even more of the new doors it will open.”
Since the company’s launch, Ms. Pierse has lived up to Chai Bike’s slogan: “A company with Communi-Tea at its heart.” She has already started supporting local businesses and providing her services.
Ms Pierse said: “I am very passionate about supporting Aberystwyth’s local businesses, there are a lot of empty shops at the moment. But these little shops like Iwtopia, the Bookshop by the Sea and others are the essence of Aberystwyth. I hope to work with them in the future.
The Welsh language is another part of the Aberystwyth community that Ms Pierse is seeing reconnected with as she is ‘determined’ to run her business bilingually.
Ms Pierse said: “My Welsh language strength has declined since I moved, but I am determined to run this business bilingually.
“I actually get free language lessons by doing that. It’s important to keep the language alive, it’s such an integral part of our culture.”
