About

I founded Steep & Spice LLC because of my desire to create a culture of family, community, and sustainability. After being isolated from family and friends during COVID-19, I realized that I needed to invest myself in something that would allow me to maximize my time with those I care about. Tea was selected as the agent of choice innocently enough—as an idea mentioned in passing. In April 2021, my mother, grandmother, and I sat around a delicious tea service in honor of my mother's birthday when she murmured "We can totally do this."

I later realized she had been kidding and had no intention of starting a new business venture, but the idea was one that I myself could not shake. Tea drinkers are some of the most interpersonally connected individuals on the planet, with tea being a major form of communion for families all over the world. With my preexisting love of tea, the perfect match was made. 

I also soon realized that tea presents major opportunities for improvements in environmental responsibility and sustainability, as the global tea trade is a major contributor to carbon emissions. Each step of the cultivation process has ramifications, from the clearing of farmland, to the emissions of transport vehicles, to the landfill accumulation of product packaging. While my research has shown that most large-scale tea retailers attempt to offset their negative contributions, most do not go further than paying into carbon footprint offset programs that react to unsustainable practices rather than decreasing them in the first place. The first major goal of this company is to pick up this slack by offering products that are sustainably created at each step of the supply chain. 

The second major goal of Steep & Spice LLC is to participate in wholly transparent charitable campaigns. While big-box retailers often purport to donate a portion of their proceeds to good causes, seldom are the percentages known, and the specific charity is often undisclosed. My aim is to highlight multiple charities throughout the year, with all the information our customers need to know about where their money is going and how it will help. 

My final goal with this company is to create a lasting legacy that my husband and I can pass on to our children someday. The past decade has shown the best and worst of what humanity has to offer, and we hope to do our part to make positive contributions. Tea may not seem like much, but the communities and attitudes that tea culture fosters are capable of great change!

--Elizabeth