When I was very young girl growing up in Таshkent - an ancient city on the Great Silk Road from China to Europe - my life revolved around my family and tea. I saw the world through a glass window; not the one that looked out at the tea house across the street, but the one that looked out on my dreams...

Across the street was the social centre of our neighborhood; a tea house called Chaikhana. For us it was similar to what Starbucks tried to become in late 90’s when they developed the “third place” concept for their coffee shops.

At every gathering we had, tea was on the table or waiting on the stove to be served. My father, who occasionally used an old tin box of instant coffee from friendly Cuba, was the subject of jokes and disapproval. Tea was the drink of our everyday lives, and the best teas were always reserved for guests and special occasions.

As I entered to my mid 20’s, I followed my fiancé to America. I got my first tea bag experience crossing the ocean to an unknown land. I really liked the novelty of the different ways to enjoy my tea, but the taste… well, it wasn’t important at that moment. I adjusted to my new life and new mix of different people and cultural differences.

I started working and spent 18 years with one of the best companies in US, and in the world. By then I was married and had children, and tea naturally became part of our family lifestyle.

I developed a certain palate and taste for teas I liked and disliked. Quite often I would buy exotic teas online or in specialty stores and as a family we gathered to have a tea testing. Looking back, I think I am still that girl serving tea with the same excitement to my friends and family. I love having an unforgettable tea-tasting experience by offering a mélange of unusual and aromatic teas discovered through my extensive travels. I am inspired by the search for new teas, and I love the challenge and the discovery.

I also love living a healthy, active life. This, combined with my other life experiences, has definitely shaped my taste for teas, and it has influenced how I see my tea selection. I only offer teas I would love to drink myself.

I want to spend my next 20 years doing what I enjoy the most: giving others a memorable tea experience. I am inspired by my mission of introducing customers to the aromas and textures of loose leaf teas while enlightening them with the history and beneficial qualities of tea as a wholesome alternative to unhealthy beverages.

Discovering new, premium-quality teas, while promoting and maintaining eco-friendly cultivation practices, means I can offer customers a superior product harvested from single origins by sustainable means. I want to participate in, contribute to, and enrich, a delicious and healthful communal tradition that found its roots millennia ago.

Larissa Simontov
Founder & CEO