Stash Tea Company
Encyclopedia
Stash Tea Company is a privately-held specialty tea
company headquartered in Tigard, Oregon
, a suburb of Portland
.
house, supplying loose herbal teas and bulk herbs to natural food stores. The company broadened its focus to include bagged teas and then began to sell a full line of traditional, specialty blend and herbal teas directly to fine restaurants and through a mail order catalog to consumers.
In 1993, Stash was acquired by Yamamotoyama Tea Company. Today, Stash Tea is enjoying steady growth and has become one of the largest specialty tea companies in the United States
, with products available through foodservice
, grocery stores, tea and coffee shops, club stores, mass merchandisers, natural foods stores, mail order and the internet. Stash Tea is also available in Canada
and in several other countries.
The company derives its name from an entertaining aspect of tea folklore. In earlier centuries, tea was a valuable commodity traditionally transported by clipper ship
. The ship’s captain often was presented with some of the finest teas for his personal use. This supply was his “stash,” stowed carefully as his “private reserve.” Today, the term is still used to denote anything put away carefully because of its preciousness.
, flavored and spiced teas, herbal teas, green teas
, white teas
, organic teas
, rare and exotic teas and specialty iced teas. They produce more than 300 teas.
to tea accessories. Tetsubin teaware
, yixing teaware
, traditional and modern tea sets, brewing accessories, tea kettles
, honey sticks, tea gifts, treats and books.
, Oregon. It features the entire selection of Stash's teas and tea-related products for sale, including specialty tea collections and larger quantities not available in grocery stores. Complimentary tea tastings are held regularly at the store, and samples of tea are offered in the tasting room.
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
company headquartered in Tigard, Oregon
Tigard, Oregon
Tigard is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. The population was 48,035 at the 2010 census. As of 2007, Tigard was the state's 12th largest city. Incorporated in 1961, the city is located south of Beaverton and north of Tualatin, and is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, a suburb of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
History
Stash Tea was founded in 1972 and originally operated out of an old Portland Victorian-styleVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
house, supplying loose herbal teas and bulk herbs to natural food stores. The company broadened its focus to include bagged teas and then began to sell a full line of traditional, specialty blend and herbal teas directly to fine restaurants and through a mail order catalog to consumers.
In 1993, Stash was acquired by Yamamotoyama Tea Company. Today, Stash Tea is enjoying steady growth and has become one of the largest specialty tea companies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with products available through foodservice
Foodservice
Food Service or catering industry defines those businesses, institutions, and companies responsible for any meal prepared outside the home...
, grocery stores, tea and coffee shops, club stores, mass merchandisers, natural foods stores, mail order and the internet. Stash Tea is also available in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and in several other countries.
The company derives its name from an entertaining aspect of tea folklore. In earlier centuries, tea was a valuable commodity traditionally transported by clipper ship
Clipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
. The ship’s captain often was presented with some of the finest teas for his personal use. This supply was his “stash,” stowed carefully as his “private reserve.” Today, the term is still used to denote anything put away carefully because of its preciousness.
Tea Types
The Stash Tea Company offers a complete line of specialty teas: traditional black teasBlack tea
Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties.All four varieties are made from leaves of the shrub Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the...
, flavored and spiced teas, herbal teas, green teas
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
, white teas
White tea
White tea is a lightly oxidized tea grown and harvested almost exclusively in China, primarily in the Fujian province.White tea comes from the delicate buds and younger leaves of the Chinese Camellia sinensis plant. These buds and leaves are allowed to wither in natural sunlight before they are...
, organic teas
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
, rare and exotic teas and specialty iced teas. They produce more than 300 teas.
Tea Products
Stash offers a wide selection of tea products as well, from teawareTeaware
Teaware encompasses a broad international spectrum of equipment used in the brewing and consumption of tea. Many components make up that spectrum, and vary greatly based upon the type of tea being prepared, and the cultural setting in which it is bring prepared...
to tea accessories. Tetsubin teaware
Tetsubin
Tetsubin are Japanese cast iron pots having pouring spout and handle crossing over the top, used for boiling and pouring hot water for drinking purposes, such as for making tea. Because iron is released into the water, the water is appreciated as a dietary source of iron.Tetsubin are traditionally...
, yixing teaware
Yixing clay
Yixing clay is a type of clay from the region near the city of Yixing in Jiangsu province, China. Its use dates back to the Song Dynasty when purple clay was first mined around Lake Taihu in China. From the 17th century on, the ware was commonly exported to Europe. The finished stoneware, which...
, traditional and modern tea sets, brewing accessories, tea kettles
Kettle
A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a small kitchen appliance used for boiling water. Kettles can be heated either by placing on a stove, or by their own electric heating element.- Stovetop kettles :...
, honey sticks, tea gifts, treats and books.
Store
In 2005, Stash Tea opened a retail store in TigardTigard, Oregon
Tigard is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. The population was 48,035 at the 2010 census. As of 2007, Tigard was the state's 12th largest city. Incorporated in 1961, the city is located south of Beaverton and north of Tualatin, and is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Oregon. It features the entire selection of Stash's teas and tea-related products for sale, including specialty tea collections and larger quantities not available in grocery stores. Complimentary tea tastings are held regularly at the store, and samples of tea are offered in the tasting room.