Born in the U.K., Buddha Teas’ co-founder John Boyd grew up immersed in the culture of tea. Yet, after moving to the United States in 2006, he believed that his choices of unadulterated tea were limited.
With a desire to create an expanded selection for tea lovers seeking the same purity and quality he was committed to, Boyd became inspired to develop a tea company to fill the gap. So, he approached his longtime business partner and fellow entrepreneur Nicholas Marier, with an idea to launch an organic tea company.
Boyd’s passion for utilizing herbs as healing agents contributed to his goal of creating a complete tea company that offered consumers high-quality, sustainably sourced, single-ingredient herbal teas as well as green, black, white and CBD varieties.
Today, Buddha Teas – based in Carlsbad, Calif. – produces a “massive selection of unadulterated teas,” according to Boyd. “We research extensively to find the best quality herbs and teas in the world, and we put them into non-toxic, ‘bleach free’ tea bags,” he says. “We craft our blends carefully for consumers with very specific needs and concerns, but we also have a line of single herb teas for those who want the maximum therapeutic benefit.”
World Tea News chats with Boyd to learn more about Buddha Teas, the healing herbs it uses, its line of CBD teas, and to get his thoughts on the industry.
Question: When did you become a tea connoisseur, and how did Buddha Teas come about?
Answer: I was born in England and as everyone knows, we love our tea. My mom was especially fond of herbal and green teas, so I developed a taste for those at a very early age. When I moved to America, I kept looking for a brand of herbal tea that was organic and without natural or artificial flavorings. I’ve always had an aversion to any laboratory created flavors. Turns out, they were really hard to find, so I decided I would create a company dedicated to producing high quality, organic teas with no artificial or natural flavorings – and Buddha Teas was born.
Question: How did you educate yourself about tea?
Answer: Since starting Buddha Teas, I’ve traveled the world and gained so much knowledge from experts who have made tea their life. The science behind the teas – the growing, harvesting and processing of leaves to produce different flavors – and the entire industry is just incredibly fascinating to me. Not a day goes by where I don’t learn something new about tea in some capacity.
Question: Can you tell us about the teas and products your company offers?
Answer: Wow! We offer so many teas, I don’t know where to begin. In a nutshell, we offer over 140 teas and there really is something for everyone, no matter what their needs are. We listen to our customers and when they tell us what they need, we do our best to make that our next product. We design our products for them. In fact, we have about four new teas set to launch any day now. Stay tuned!
Question: Buddha Teas has a line of CBD tea. What can you tell us about those, and what’s the future of CBD in relation to the tea industry?
Answer: We have an amazing line of CBD teas, each of which has a specific focus. Currently, we have six CBD teas – CBD Tulsi Ashwagandha, CBD Peppermint, CBD Matcha Green Tea, CBD Chamomile, CBD Mushroom Defense and CBD Turmeric and Ginger.
The benefits of CBD are the focus of scientific studies and gaining serious attention in the health and wellness field. We took the most current information and used it to create a potent and progressive new line.
Take our CBD Chamomile Tea, for instance. Chamomile’s calming capabilities mixed with the tranquil effects of CBD created a powerhouse to knock out anxiety. Turmeric, Ginger and CBD are all known for their anti-inflammatory properties, so this blend is suited to physical recovery and pain management. We’re constantly doing research on how to improve our already incredible selection and we’re looking forward to making it a center of innovation for Buddha Teas.
Question: What sets Buddha Teas apart from other online tea companies?
Answer: We have an expansive variety of teas that are hand selected and thoroughly researched before they are made available to consumers. Our staff is dedicated to improving others’ health and well-being. Our No. 1 priority is to ensure that our customers get the very best teas we can offer in terms of being environmentally friendly, healthy, safe and effective. I feel extremely lucky to have been the creator behind such a phenomenal brand backed by phenomenal people, and our goal is to continue to bring you the best.
Question: How do you source your tea?
Answer: With as many teas as we offer – and given seasonal and geographical considerations for our supply chain – our purchasing department stays very busy. To ensure the highest quality and greatest selection, we source from farms all over the world. I personally take the time to travel to other countries and taste the teas, watch the process, and learn as much as I can from people who have been growing and harvesting tea their entire lives.
Question: What creative things have you done to promote your business and build your customer base?
Answer: Attention catching is the ultimate key. The Buddha Teas boxes are so pretty to look at, pleasing to hold, and customers often display them on their counter tops rather than hide them away in a tea cupboard. The Buddha Teas logo and packaging took 18 months to design, but we’re thrilled we took that time to get it to absolute perfection. It’s as if every box is a little piece of artwork – art that contains mega health benefits.
Also, offering more obscure herbal teas that are hard to find has helped us expand our customer base, as some of the herbal teas we carry are exclusive to Buddha Teas.
Question: How would you describe the U.S. tea market right now?
Answer: Americans have traditionally been coffee drinkers, however people are leaning towards drinking tea. Society is becoming more health conscious and most people know that green teas are much healthier than coffee, and they still provide the same caffeine kick that people are looking for to start their day. Not to mention the fact that some of our caffeinated teas contain an ingredient that totally takes the edge off that jittery feeling while still kicking you into overdrive. Specifically, I’m talking about matcha and L-theanine.
Question: Have you seen more customers discover tea during the pandemic?
Answer: We saw a huge spike in our herbal teas that boost the immune system. Our pure Elderberry had an astronomical increase in sales, and we attribute that to the amount of elderberry in each tea bag – 2000mg. Everyone seemed to jump on the immunity boosting teas bandwagon. Also, our lung health teas – such as Mullein and Eucalyptus – have gained tremendous momentum.
Question: What do you want retailers to know about your wholesale opportunities?
Answer: Buddha Teas offers over 140 USDA Certified organic, non-GMO certified blended and single herb teas. We are distributed by all the major natural food distributors – such as UNFI, Threshold and KeHE, as well as directly to stores and many local distributors.
We offer monthly discounts and promotions on different tea skus. According to SPINS data, Buddha Teas is the “fastest growing tea brand in the U.S. for natural channel, out of 35 tea brands.” We’ve also risen through the ranks to No. 1,360 on the 2021 Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America, with 350 percent three-year growth.
Question: Do you have any advice for other professionals in the tea industry today?
Answer: Professionals should look for quality, both in terms of ingredients and tea formulations. Tea ingredients should be of the highest quality, and tea formulations should be safe and gentle while still maintaining maximum efficacy.
Question: Thanks for your time. Last question: What do you love the most about tea?
Answer: I truly enjoy bringing to people the opportunity to smell, taste and just enjoy tea and herbal ingredients from all over the world. We all can now enjoy so many teas that not too long ago, only the wealthiest could enjoy. What a delight to have your senses travel the world simply by smelling and tasting a cup of tea!
To learn more about Buddha Teas, visit BuddhaTeas.com.