Who actually *makes* this tea?

January 16, 2019 9:10 PM

I bought some tea a while ago from a local tea shop that sort of gave the impression that they make their own tea blends, but when I was trying to buy some more online I found that in fact a bunch of places carry what seems to be exactly the same tea with different names. Which is fine, whatever, business is business! But who actually makes this tea?

Here are a couple links to show you what I mean: 1, 2, 3, 4

I'm mostly just curious. I don't want to ask the shop directly, because that seems so embarrassing for everyone! I realize I probably can't get it wholesale from whoever makes it anyway, so I'm going to keep buying it from the local shop.

Also, what if I *did* want to start a tea business? Is there a secret to finding wholesale tea suppliers?

posted by hapticactionnetwork to Food & Drink (4 answers total)

Best answer: It's Adagio's Bonfire Blend.
posted by holgate at 9:32 PM on January 16, 2019 [5 favorites]

And there are plenty of wholesalers that do private label, and some of them will let you tweak a blend or create something entirely custom if you order enough.
posted by holgate at 9:37 PM on January 16, 2019 [2 favorites]

adagio also sells all (or most) of its blend components separately, in the pantry section under "spices" and "freeze dried", in case you feel like your blend needs a bit more of something. knowing what each ingredient looks like makes it a lot easier to order everything in bulk from amazon or similar, which is what i do with my favourite tea from them, the sour apple.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:15 PM on January 16, 2019 [4 favorites]

Looks like you got your answer, but I went down a similar rabbit hole last month when my local tea shop changed their black vanilla tea blend. I had bought it by the pound for years, so I sent an email to their office, and they told me that they actually started blending it in house. I asked where they got it before, and they pointed me toward their distributor (Dethlefsen-Balk). I contacted the distributor, and while they wouldn’t let me buy it directly from them, they gave me a couple leads on where to buy it online from other shops. The price variation is shocking!
posted by Maarika at 6:06 AM on January 17, 2019 [1 favorite]