The Republic of Tea Celebrates 30 Years
The Family-Owned Company Reflects on Three Decades of Innovation and Education With Commitment to Enriching Current and Future Citizens Lives
LARKSPUR, CALIF. (May 2022) – The Republic of Tea, leading purveyor of premium teas and herbs, is proud and humbled to commemorate its 30th anniversary this month. Over the past three decades, The Republic of Tea has remained unwavering in its dedication to innovation, education, and fostering a “Sip by Sip Rather than Gulp by Gulp” lifestyle for its Citizens (customers), Ministers (employees), Ambassadors (sales representatives), and Embassies (retail outlets). Thirty years of The Republic of Tea have been defined by the creation of 350+ great-tasting all-natural premium teas and herbs, tea-inspired products, impactful partnerships, smart and steady growth, and a commitment to health, safety, and environmental sustainability.
The Republic of Tea ignited a tea revolution upon its inception in 1992, and innovation has remained one of its cornerstones since day one. The Republic of Tea was the first tea company to receive USDA Certified Organic certification, as well as the first tea brand to bring 100% white tea, rooibos tea, and yerba maté to the American marketplace. Todd B. Rubin, The Republic of Tea’s second-generation CEO and the Minister of Evolution, acknowledges that with growth comes the responsibility to contribute positively to society on a global scale.
“The Republic of Tea’s 30th Anniversary comes at a poignant time for us to celebrate our accomplishments and successes, and also look ahead to the next defining chapter through our mission to enrich people’s lives,” said Rubin. “We are proud to uphold the company’s pillars that my father, Ron Rubin – Minister of Tea – set forth, and to expand, elevate, and innovate on those to be a continually progressive and socially conscious company.”
To commemorate its tricennial milestone, The Republic of Tea has introduced the special Jasmine Pearls Full-Leaf Tea – the tea of integrity. The blend is comprised of leaves and bud sets that are harvested in early spring in China’s Fujian province, and hand rolled into tight ‘pearls’ and dried before they are scented multiple times with fresh jasmine blossoms. This painstaking process depends on perfect timing. The result is a clean, floral tea that yields distinct flavor. The Jasmine Pearls Full-Leaf Tea retails for $25.25 and is available at republicoftea.com.
The Republic of Tea has made sustainability a part of its core operations through internal and external efforts, as well as part of The Charter that guides the brand. It is a founding member of the Ethical Tea Partnership to ensure the ethical sourcing of tea and promotion of social responsibility in the world tea trade and is a proud member of the Upcycled Food Association (UFA), a non-profit focused on reducing food waste by growing the upcycled food economy, as well as Climate Collaborative and the American Herbal Products Association.
The company is also mindful of how its actions impact the greater community. Embracing the ancient Chinese philosophy of Ta shun – the Great Harmony, the company actively supports nonprofit organizations, having donated over $4 million to-date toward the Whole Planet Foundation, The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Women of Tea: Sri Lanka, Homeward Bound of Marin, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, Community Link, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the North Bay, and many more.
In recent years, The Republic of Tea has debuted several noteworthy tea collections, including Certified Elephant Friendly™ Chai Teas, harvested from Indian gardens that are committed to protecting Asian elephants and their habitats, and the organic SuperAdapt™ Tea and SuperDigest Tea® collections, which comprise healing, adaptogenic herbs to support a variety of wellness benefits. The Republic of Tea also recently released dozens of pioneering teas that led to meaningful growth and innovation, including its Single Sips®, Beautifying Botanicals®, Be Well® Teas, organic SuperHerb® Teas, HiCAF® Teas, organic SuperGreen Teas, Biodynamic® Teas, Cuppa Cake® Teas, and U-Matcha®, among dozens more. The Republic of Tea maintains a variety of certifications for its blends including Demeter USA Certified Biodynamic®, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO Project verification, OU Kosher, and USDA Organic.
Further, The Republic of Tea has produced several exclusive licensing collaborations with acclaimed companies like Disney and Lucasfilm, Calm, Hallmark, Netflix, Shondaland, Sanrio®, Focus Features, and NBC Universal. Resulting collections have included Star Wars™ The Mandalorian™ Teas; The Book of Boba Fett™ Teas; Bridgerton Teas; Hello Kitty Teas; The Crown Teas; Downton Abbey Teas; Hallmark Channel’s Christmas in July Tea and Countdown to Christmas Teas; and the Calm Teas.
Over the past 30 years, The Republic of Tea has proudly earned distinctive accolades, including being recognized with a Community Philanthropy Award by the North Bay Business Journal in 2020; a Top 100 Bay Area Corporate Philanthropist by the San Francisco Business Times; an Eco-Excellence Finalist by NCW Magazine; and numerous Best Place to Work recognitions by Outside Magazine and North Bay Business Journal. The Republic of Tea has received several NEXTY Awards for teas such as its Organic Elephant-Friendly Chai Stackable Tin, Beautifying Botanicals Beauty Brain and Daily Beauty, and Honeybush Vanilla Turmeric SuperDigest Tea®, as well as sofi™ Awards for Daily Beauty and SuperAdapt™ Burnout Blocker®. Ron Rubin was also humbly inducted into the Specialty Food Association Hall of Fame.
Looking ahead to the next decade and beyond, The Republic of Tea is committed to enriching Citizens’ lives. The company recently established an Impact TEAm, dedicated to implementing Green Business practices that focus on increasing energy efficiency, reducing waste, conserving resources, promoting environmental education, and more. This extends to its revolutionary recyclable and reusable round steel tins and unbleached round tea bags that are free of unnecessary strings, tags and staples. For every 1 million tea bags of The Republic of Tea sipped, 60 pounds of staples, 47 miles of string and 1 million paper tags are saved from landfills. This year, The Republic of Tea unveiled additional sustainable packaging in the form of FSC-certified recyclable and biodegradable paperboard boxes for its inventive Single Sips®. The company will also continue to enhance its production and shipping center in Nashville, Ill., which recently upgraded all warehouse lighting to LED and implemented AC Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) for energy efficiency and cost reduction. These environmental stewardship efforts will remain a key focus for The Republic of Tea, specifically as it seeks to move to all renewable energy, rid any plastic in packaging, go paperless as much as possible, and reduce waste through innovative technology.
For more information on The Republic of Tea’s 30 years of innovation and to view its vast selection of all-natural premium teas and herbs, visit www.republicoftea.com.
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About The Republic of Tea:
The Republic of Tea enriches people’s lives through its great-tasting premium teas and herbs, education and innovation, as it emphasizes a “Sip by Sip Rather Than Gulp by Gulp” lifestyle. Founded in 1992, The Republic of Tea sparked a specialty tea revolution. Today the brand delivers an unequaled selection of the highest-quality teas, herbal blends, and nature-inspired sipware at an incredible value. The Republic of Tea’s collections boast over 350 all-natural premium teas and diverse offerings which include but are not limited to: organic SuperAdapt™ Teas, SuperDigest Tea® collection, Beautifying Botanicals®, Be Well® Teas, Bridgerton Teas, Star Wars™ The Mandalorian™ Teas, organic SuperHerb® Teas, U-Matcha™ and Single Sips®. Further, The Republic of Tea is mindful of how its actions impact the greater community and actively supports organizations like Homeward Bound of Marin and The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), which works towards access to nutritious, safe, and affordable food for all. The Republic of Tea also works to elevate the consciousness of sustainability; it is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, Upcycled Food Association, Climate Collaborative and American Herbal Products Association. Certifications include Demeter USA Certified Biodynamic®, Gluten-Free certification, Non-GMO Project verification, OU Kosher certification, and USDA Organic certification. For more information, please visit www.REPUBLICofTEA.com or call 1.800.298.4832. Follow The Republic of Tea on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Press Contacts: Nicole Lax, Blake Willahan, Siena Di Roma and Libby Byrne at 415.325.5519, pr@republicoftea.com
