Inside Tea Chest | The Hawaii Tea Company that puts Taste First

Tea Chest Hawaii is about whole-leaf teas and blends 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 beauty in a world that grows increasingly hectic.  Tea Chest Hawaii is all of these things, in cup after cup.

Byron and Satomi Goo are teamakers who draw on their multi-cultural heritage to source and craft teas for the modern table.

Our Original Blend Nilgiri Iced Tea won the title Best Iced Tea in America in a national tasting competition sponsored by the US Tea Association.  The company has been featured nationally on CNN and in Gourmet Magazine, Business Week and Hawaii Magazine.

The company draws on decades-long relationships with farmers to deliver delicious teas, whether it’s a sencha meant to pair with Pacific Rim cuisine or a tropical iced tea that evokes sitting on the lanai watching the sunset.

While Tea Chest Hawaii sources directly from farmers in India, Taiwan, and Japan — each region offering its own distinct flavor profile — the company also works with a burgeoning tea industry in Hawaii, helping tea farmers craft high-quality products found nowhere else in the world.

Personal relationships with growers like Eliah Halpenny and Dr. Cam Muir (above) of Big Island Tea provide insights as to how our tea and other ingredients are cultivated, processed and handled before packing.

We work with the top chefs, resorts and restaurants as their tea purveyor on menu curation and product development.  Tastemakers like Chefs Wade Ueoka, Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Brian Nagai trust us with their tea. We work diligently so you can, too.

One of our communi-tea service initiatives is professional training.  We work closely with Hawaii’s hospitality industry and the culinary programs at the University of Hawaii campuses to elevate product knowledge nd service standards.

We started a communi-tea of growers around the state and the U.S. Small Business Administration recognized our efforts to grow tea in Hawaii with a Small Business of the Year award.  Tea and herbals now grow on Maui, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island.  Pictured above is a workshop for our farmers to learn how to grow and harvest tea.

Our communi-tea is expanding to places like Japan, Canada and Guam.  Company founder, Byron Goo, is a US Secretary of Commerce appointee to the Hawaii Pacific District Export Council which provides assistance to companies based in Hawaii and US territories in the Pacific that are expanding in international markets.

Internships for college students help foster the next generation of leaders with ties to Hawaii.  In partnership with Kamehameha Schools, we have been able to provide fun and meaningful learning opportunities since 2012.

Contact us at info@teachest.com for more information.