Why did you start your business?

We lived in Taiwan for five years and drank lots of hand-crafted teas and fresh fruit iced teas. It dawned on us that in North America tea is treated as a commodity, often filled with artificial colours and flavours. We saw the evolution of the coffee, craft beer and bean-to-bar chocolate movements and knew that tea was missing this innovation or transparency. We enrolled in an MBA program in Taiwan and studied Chinese which allowed us to travel throughout Asia meeting with tea farmers and learning more about tea. In 2015, we moved to Toronto and started selling tea at local farmers' markets. SInce then we have won multiple awards for our teas including Best Tea in Toronto in 2017, 2018 and 2020 in NOW Magazine. We also appeared on Dragons' Den and partnered with Arlene Dickinson which has allowed us to continue our innovation which includes biodegradable pyramid tea bags and our new line of hand-crafted sparkling iced teas.

What is the hardest thing or something you have learned while running your business?

Try not to get too emotionally invested in every little thing. Every industry has competitors, every industry has its ebbs and flows and you cannot predict a global pandemic. Enjoy the ride and focus on what you love and what makes you different.

What local ingredients or locally sourced products do you use?

Cranberries, elderberries, blueberries, apple etc. We also import all of our tea to Toronto and it is all packaged here by hand - this includes our Sparkling Iced Tea.

What is your favourite or best selling item?

Haha, tough one. Matcha is probably still one of our top products followed closely by our black teas.

Genuine Tea

Co-founders David and Sarah travel the world in search of premium loose leaf teas with the simple dream of sharing these handcrafted artisan teas

Genuine Tea is a leader of the Third Wave Tea movement in Toronto, a movement that aims to close the gap between the tea in your cup and the people who have dedicated their lives to producing it. It is a shift in focus from convenience and quantity to freshness and quality. As more people join the third wave tea movement, tea makers around the world will be acknowledged, appreciated and fairly compensated for their craftsmanship.

Best Sellers

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Hot Sauce Trio Pack

$25.00

Ghost Chili Hot Sauce

$10.00

Chocolate Habanero Hot Sauce

$9.00

Sundried Tomato and Basil Tapenade

$12.00

Bread Dipper Trio Set

$26.00

FAQs About Genuine Tea

: We lived in Taiwan for five years and drank lots of hand-crafted teas and fresh fruit iced teas. It dawned on us that in North America tea is treated as a commodity, often filled with artificial colours and flavours. We saw the evolution of the coffee, craft beer and bean-to-bar chocolate movements and knew that tea was missing this innovation or transparency. We enrolled in an MBA program in Taiwan and studied Chinese which allowed us to travel throughout Asia meeting with tea farmers and learning more about tea. In 2015, we moved to Toronto and started selling tea at local farmers' markets. SInce then we have won multiple awards for our teas including Best Tea in Toronto in 2017, 2018 and 2020 in NOW Magazine. We also appeared on Dragons' Den and partnered with Arlene Dickinson which has allowed us to continue our innovation which includes biodegradable pyramid tea bags and our new line of hand-crafted sparkling iced teas.
: Try not to get too emotionally invested in every little thing. Every industry has competitors, every industry has its ebbs and flows and you cannot predict a global pandemic. Enjoy the ride and focus on what you love and what makes you different.
: Cranberries, elderberries, blueberries, apple etc. We also import all of our tea to Toronto and it is all packaged here by hand - this includes our Sparkling Iced Tea.
: Haha, tough one. Matcha is probably still one of our top products followed closely by our black teas.