Stash Tea Company
 | |
| Private (subsidiary of Yamamotoyama Tea Company) | |
| Industry | Retail / Wholesale Tea & Herbal teas |
| Founded | 1972 in Portland, Oregon |
| Headquarters |
Tigard, Oregon, USA 45°24′01″N 122°44′59″W / 45.4004°N 122.7497°WCoordinates: 45°24′01″N 122°44′59″W / 45.4004°N 122.7497°W |
| Products |
Loose-Leaf Tea Bagged Tea Teaware & Tea-Related Products |
| Website | StashTea.com |
Stash Tea Company is a privately held specialty tea & herbal tea company headquartered in Tigard, Oregon, a suburb of Portland.
History
Stash Tea was founded in 1972 by Steven Smith[1] and originally operated out of an old Portland Victorian-style house, supplying loose herbal teas and bulk herbs to natural food stores. The company broadened its focus to include bagged teas and then began to sell a full line of traditional, specialty blend herbal teas directly to fine restaurants and through a mail order catalog to consumers.[2]
In 1993, Stash was acquired by Yamamotoyama Tea Company. Today, Stash Tea is enjoying steady growth and has become one of the largest specialty tea & herbal tea companies in the United States, with products available through foodservice, grocery stores, tea and coffee shops, club stores, mass merchandisers, natural food stores, mail order and the internet. Stash Tea is also available in Canada and in several other countries.
The company derives its name from an aspect of tea folklore. In earlier centuries, tea was a valuable commodity traditionally transported by clipper ship. The ship’s captain often was presented with some of the finest teas for his personal use. This supply was his "stash," stowed carefully as his "private reserve."[2]
Products
Tea Types
The Stash Tea Company offers a complete line of specialty teas: traditional black teas, flavored and spiced teas, herbal teas, green teas, white teas, organic teas, rare and exotic teas and specialty iced teas. They produce more than 300 blends.[3]
Tea Products
Stash offers a wide selection of tea products as well, from teaware to tea accessories. Tetsubin teaware, yixing teaware, traditional and modern tea sets, brewing accessories, tea kettles, honey sticks, tea gifts, treats and books.
Store
In 2005, Stash Tea opened a retail store in the Bridgeport Village shopping complex in Tigard, Oregon. It features the entire selection of Stash's teas and tea-related products for sale, including specialty tea collections and larger quantities not available in grocery stores. Complimentary tea tastings are held regularly at the store, and samples of tea are offered in the tasting room.[4]
See also
- Tazo, another Portland tea company also founded by Steven Smith
References
- ↑ Roberts, Sam. (2015, March 25). "Steven Smith, a 'Marco Polo' of American tea, dies at 65," The New York Times. Accessed: March 29, 2015.
- 1 2 "About Us – Stash Tea". Retrieved 2011-11-16.
- ↑ "About Stash – Stash Tea Wholesale". Retrieved 2011-11-16.
- ↑ "Our Store – Stash Tea". Retrieved 2011-11-16.