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Portland's British Colonial-themed cafe has lost its tea supplier.
Steven Smith Teamaker confirmed in email that it has severed ties with Saffron Colonial, the North Williams bakery and cafe which has faced sustained protests since it opened its doors with a name and menu that activists say takes a blithe attitude toward the atrocities of British Colonialism.
"We wanted to reach out to let you know we have stopped selling product to Saffron Colonial," a company representative wrote in an email to activists.
Steven Smith Teamaker is arguably Portland's finest tea company, founded by the late and much-beloved Steven Smith and now run by his protege Tony Tellin.
Last week Ristretto Roasters ended its long relationship with owner Saffron Colonial owner Sally Krantz, which dated back to her days in Hong Kong. A few days later, Ex Novo, a non-profit brewery in the North Portland, asked its distributor to halt sales to Saffron.
The debate continues to rage online.
While Saffron has received lots of support from people who charge this is political correctness run amok, it's also been the subject of several blog posts by people who disagree.
Owners Sally Krantz and Sean Hocking were not available for comment.
Willamette Week