Tea Chest Hawaii is about teas as unique as Hawaii itself. Hawaii has come to embody many things to many people — a fluid mix of Asian, American, and native Hawaiian cultures; moments of warmth, relaxation and wellness in a world that grows increasingly hectic. Tea Chest Hawaii is all of these things, in cup after cup.

Tea Chest Hawaii was originally founded in 1995 by Byron and Satomi Goo, beginning as a distributor of fine teas. Not long after, Byron and Satomi began their evolution as tea makers, drawing on their Hawaiian, Chinese and Japanese heritage — cultures with deep-rooted tea traditions — to source and craft teas for the modern table. Today, we offer three distinctive house brands — Hawaiian Natural Tea (organic tea bags), Island Essence (signature blends of loose tea) and Tea Chest Hawaii Tropical Iced Tea and several specialty collections. Our signature Original Blend Nilgiri Iced Tea, the base of all our iced teas, was named Best Iced Tea in America in a national competition sponsored by the Tea Association of The U.S.A.

From farm to cup, we have an intimate understanding of tea. We are inspired by refined tastes with a distinct sense of place. We try to capture the lush fragrance of Grandma’s beloved mango tree or the scent of pineapple drifting through the window as you drive to Haleiwa on the North Shore of Oahu. Our cacao teas, chai blends, and herbal teas are imbued with flavors that conjure up thoughts of Hawaii — lilikoi (passionfruit), coconut, strawberry guava, chocolate.

Tea is an affordable luxury and healthy everyday beverage. Our products complement the moments of life—refreshing iced teas for after yoga or a mid-day surf session; Mango Peach for gatherings with friends; Lemon Chamomile to relax in bed with a good book or Netflix binge. We select teas that pair well with Island cuisine — sencha to go with sushi or fresh-caught poke, or a floral oolong to contrast with wok-fried foods. No matter how formal or casual the setting, tea is about care and hospitality. It is a small representation of the larger picture to take time to nourish ourselves, to “talk story” with loved ones, and to take care of relationships.

At Tea Chest Hawaii, we spend a great deal of time vetting our ingredients and growers. Our core value of malama is about good stewardship — to leave a place better than how we found it. This philosophy extends to both people and our surroundings. Malama Aina guides us to preserve and protect the land and waters that sustain us. We work with many family-owned farms to source high quality organic, sustainable and local ingredients. These ingredients are grown from seed, rather than cloning or using GMO techniques.

It is important to us to support other Hawaii businesses and play our part in creating a thriving and diverse state economy. We have a dream that Hawaii will one day support a robust tea industry that complements the state’s world-renown coffee industry.