Tea was discovered in China and for hundreds of years, remained a Chinese beverage. Tea grew in popularity in Asia and made its way to Europe and England in the 16th century. In the 1830s, the British East India Company became concerned about the Chinese monopoly on tea, which constituted most of its trade and supported the enormous consumption of tea in Great Britain. The British colonists discovered tea growing wild in Assam and in the 1850s started cultivating tea plantations locally.
Historically Indians viewed tea as a herbal medicine rather than as a recreational beverage so consumption of black tea within India remained low until the promotional campaign by the British in the early 20th century, which encouraged factories, mines, and textile mills to provide tea breaks for their workers. Since then, tea has became a big part of the Indian culture.
Around the same time, in 1940s, we had our humble beginnings in the tea business, trading teas in Calcutta, India. We truly believed that tea with all its inherent benefits could change the world. We acquired tea plantations in India and became one of the first companies to export packaged teas from India in early 1980s.
In 1979, after years working with his family’s Indian tea business, our founder left for the US on a mission to bring premium quality black tea to the US market.
Upon arrival in the US, he saw success supplying private label teas to major grocery chains in the country but noticed a gap in the market: The majority of teas available in the US were grown and blended to suit the needs of iced tea but there was nothing that fit the unique taste of spiced Indian chai that Indian consumers cared for. Seeing an untapped market for premium quality tea, we created Tea India®. We wanted to capture the true quality, taste, and experience of Indian chai in our product, so we went to the source: Assam.
It’s only fitting that we were later joined by our master blender, now the President of the company, who also grew up in Assam on the banks of River Brahmaputra. Coming from a family also steeped in the tea business, he grew up appreciating the taste of fine Assam teas and learning the art of tasting and creating perfect blends. Combining his expert knowledge with a passion for Indian teas, he’s now on a mission to make sure everyone can enjoy a superior cup of tea everyday.
As connoisseurs of tea, our passion is in sourcing, blending and delivering the best product possible. Our master tea tasters evaluate hundreds of blends to ensure consistency across batches, while our blending and packing facilities follow the highest manufacturing and food safety standards, resulting in consistent, fresh, and high-quality products around the year.
With our founder’s dedication and master blender’s passion to bring premium quality Indian teas to the world, today Tea India is available in most Indian Grocery Stores across United States and Canada. And now with the growing popularity of Chai, we’re growing our presence in other mainstream grocery stores across North America.
We couldn’t have come so far without the blessings of Mother Nature and the support of our farmers. So we strive hard to hold ourselves to the highest social and environmental standards.
We utilize sustainably sourced ingredients and recyclable packing materials. Our facilities and manufacturing partners have implemented solar power programs, extensive recycling programs, and reduced water consumption. We are also focused on efforts to eliminate waste, reduce energy, reduce packaging, and increase use of renewable energy sources.
We support our farmers and communities through our parent company’s Harris Freeman Foundation. Harris Freeman Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, provides philanthropic services and monetary donations to aid under-developed communities, victims of natural disasters, and other supporting advocacy organizations. By focusing on three critical areas - health, safety, and education - our mission is to impact the lives of our farmers and communities through direct financial contributions, development projects, and environmentally sustainable production practices.
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