Why we all make ‘chai’ at Grappetite!

During his technical interview, conducted by two senior developers at Grappetite, Tahir was taken by surprise when Andy, our CEO, walked in, offering to make tea for everyone. In Pakistan, where drinking tea (at least twice a day) is deeply ingrained in the culture, it's customary for every company to have a 'chai wala' - someone designated to prepare tea for the entire office. However, Grappetite breaks away from this tradition; here, everyone gets a turn to make tea!

For new employees, this concept can initially be strange. Some might even need to first learn how to make tea, as it's often considered a task reserved for people from a certain social status. However, everyone at Grappetite gets a chance, at least once a week, to make tea for the team. Over time, they come to understand and appreciate the essence and culture of our workplace. 

When we asked our team members why they value this practice, here's what they had to say:

"In Pakistan, this isn't the norm; through this though, we learn the importance of serving one another."

"By making tea for our colleagues, we show them that we value them and their well-being."

"It serves as a great bonding activity."

"You get to take a short break from your usual work."

"Making tea for everyone symbolizes equality. Regardless of your position - boss, senior, or junior employee - making tea is for everyone!"

Tahir did end up getting the job and quickly jumped into tea-making and started to appreciate that it is part of our office culture, even to the extent that he wished to carry this tradition forward to other companies. He ended up working for another company for a season and was eager to go make chai at least once in the new company. The chai wala was less eager to let Tahir make the tea, in fear of losing his job. But as Tahir was washing his own dishes after lunch everyday (another practice in Grappetite), he showed his desire to serve others, the chai wala was very appreciative. It seems that Tahir missed making tea so much that he decided to return to Grappetite 😉, where he continues his career as a senior software developer! We love to see how our employees not only abide by our office culture, but how they adopt it, and even become advocates for it! 
 

At Grappetite, our tea-making tradition isn't just about satisfying our caffeine cravings; it's about fostering a culture of equality, camaraderie, and mutual respect among all team members. So in case you consider working for us in future, don’t be surprised when tea-making is one of your first activities instead of being handed a task list - it's all part of our unique way of doing things!