Regrowing and rebuilding one cup at a time

I do not typically use this space to promote individual brands or companies but as I am heading to World Tea Expo (24-26 March), which when founded focused primarily on specialty tea and small businesses, and today is still overwhelmingly comprised of small businesses – both attendees and exhibitors – I am taking a moment to highlight one: Asheville Tea Company.

Asheville Tea Company is located in Asheville, in Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains — an area not usually affected by hurricanes. The building where the company blended, packaged and created tea was located at 91 Thompson Street directly beside the Swannanoa River. On 24 September 2024, Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina, causing widespread and devasting damage. ATC’s building was a total loss, this included all of its machinery, inventory and ingredients. A neighbor captured a video of the building floating down the river: Asheville building floating down river narrowly misses apartment – YouTube.

On 1 October, Asheville Tea Company (henceforth, ATC) emailed its customers and the tea community announcing that it would rebuild. ATC has continued to share updates on its rebuilding efforts, while also offering links to organizations helping families and businesses in Asheville in their recovery efforts. It immediately started looking at new spaces and working with farmers and suppliers in the region to source and restock herbs and botanicals.

ATC also began partnering with co-manufacturers until it is able to find a new space and purchase new machinery.

ATC announced in mid-November, thanks to support and donations, that it would have a select line of teas ready for purchase in December. The blends included Asheville Grey, Chamomile Lavender, Elderberry Yaupon and Pisgah Breakfast, plus a holiday trio – Snow Day, Spiced Apple Butter and Winter Wonderland – which were available in 20-count boxes on ATC’s  website and at local retailers. By the end of December, ATC had a select/limited amount of tea available on its website. All the while, the company continued to share updates with its clients via cheerful email and Instagram messages.

In a mid-February update, ATC said, “Thanks to you, we are regrowing and rebuilding one cup at a time.” With the assistance of its co-packer Sarjesa Teas, Asheville Tea Company announced that it was ready to launch its next round of pre-orders (the first round sold out). ATC is now taking pre-orders on its website for its Mainline Blends and Spring Seasonals, and the products will ship by April.

Asheville Tea Company is still working towards its goal of finding a new space and purchasing new machinery. As such, there will be a fundraiser for the company on 29 March at Haywood Common and the Whale Saturday. For more information about the fundraiser, click here. If you are unable to attend the fundraiser, but would like to donate to the rebuilding efforts, click here.

I do not mean for this blog to come across as a sales or a donation pitch but I am impressed by Asheville Tea Company’s resilience and determination. The tea and coffee industries are both fuelled by small businesses, on the producing side by smallholder farmers and on the manufacturing/consuming side by small and ‘mom and pop’ businesses. We have lost too many of these enterprises recently to Covid and tough financial climates, so we do not need to lose more because of Mother Nature’s wrath.