Meet The Chai Thesis: Our Neighbours at Barclay Curle Studios
The Story Behind the Blend
Chai Thesis is led by Dr Aneeqa Malik, a Master Herbalist whose path took her from Lahore to London to Glasgow, blending an academic background in social equity and integral finance with a deep, practical grounding in traditional herbalism. That combination shows up in every tin: recipes rooted in the way chai has always been made — simmered slowly on the stove, spiced with intention — alongside a modern, wellness-led approach to blending.
Where our own days at Barclay Curle are spent shaping reclaimed scaffold board and salvaged cast iron into lamps, hooks and side tables, the Chai Thesis team spends theirs combining Assam-style CTC black tea, real spices and natural botanicals into small-batch blends with no artificial flavourings.
What's in the Range
The Chai Thesis catalogue runs well beyond a single "chai" — it's organised around a few distinct lines:
Six Signature Blends — the core loose leaf chai range, including Rosé Chai, Eastern Bloom (pistachio and saffron), Choco Chai, Coco Velvet Chai, Just Chai, and Saffron Rose Chai.
Herbal & wellness teas — caffeine-free infusions such as Digest Ease, Golden Dawn, Inner Alchemy and Evergreen Ember, each built around a particular benefit like digestion, immunity or calm.
Cold infusions — oolong-based blends steeped with fruit that's dehydrated in-house, made for serving cold.
Taster boxes and instant mixes — a low-commitment way to try the range, plus quick just-add-hot-water options for the office or on the move.
Six Signature Blends
Discover handpicked loose leaf teas that capture nature’s purest essence — authentic, traditional, and naturally additive-free.
A Shared Ethos at Barclay Curle
Barclay Curle has a history of making things properly — once one of the Clyde's shipbuilding yards, now home to a newer generation of small, independent producers working with the same care, just on a different scale. Chai Thesis fits that spirit well: small runs, real ingredients, and a story behind every blend rather than a shortcut to one.
Find Chai Thesis
You can explore the full range and order directly at chaithesis.com, or follow along on Instagram. Chai Thesis also runs occasional tea-tasting events at the studio — worth keeping an eye on if you're local.
And if you're ever at Barclay Curle Studios visiting the Label Home workshop, it's well worth popping into theirs too — good chai and good craft tend to go rather well together.
Label Home and Chai Thesis are both based at Barclay Curle Studios, 739 South Street, Glasgow — home to a growing community of independent makers and small businesses.