Tea Business Help!

We recently began production of our own handcrafted tea in Sri Lanka. The first batches of artisan tea came out well and therefore we developed a forward plan on sale and manufacture, so I believe I’m eligible to offer you my two cents.

Yes, certification especially from the country’s tea board is important. For example, the Ceylon tea lion logo is needed to sell tea produced in Sri Lanka. This is usually fairly low cost. Any extra certifications such as Rainforest Alliance is optional if you would like to gain a small marketing boost whilst adhering to best practices. These are costly to obtain and to maintain, especially ‘USDA organic’ and will take a huge chunk of your expenses if you are small. As long as you are honest and the tea is produced sustainably, responsibly, and considerately, educated tea drinkers will buy from you – and you can try and obtain certifications when there’s a healthy cashflow and growth later to give yourself more credibility.

Thank you so much for your help! Do you know what the name of the tea board in the U.S is called? I tried searching but it is tough to tell which ones are real and which ones aren’t. Perhaps an approval from any reputable source would suffice. Do you have any recommendations?

Thank you so much! When I get approval I’ll make sure to send you some free samples!