In honor of our upcoming anniversary, the following press release was written by Mai-Anh Tran, which we felt appropriate to share with you. It sums up our origins, our purpose, and some accomplishments along the way.

Local Tea Store Celebrates Five Years With Open House Event
Area Focus for a National Health Phenomenon Turns 5

Williamsburg & Newport News, VA, Feb. 12, 2016―Five years ago, Discover Teas owner Chris Farishon opened the doors of a business concept unique to the Hampton Roads area: A retail store offering all-natural, hand-picked loose-leaf tea, with a focus on health and tea education. This March, both the original store in Williamsburg and the second location in Port Warwick, Newport News will celebrate the anniversary of Discover Teas with an Open House event on Saturday, March 12th. The Open House events will feature tea tastings, tea workshops and demonstrations, flash sales, and giveaways.

Many in the area were initially puzzled by Farishon’s decision to open a store centering entirely on loose tea. “Even in the planning stages, skeptics couldn't believe I was going to try to make a go at a business selling just tea,” Farishon says. Yet five years, two brick-and-mortar locations, and a growing online business later, the appeal of quality tea speaks for itself: In 2015, Discover Teas was voted a Readers’ Choice Best of Coastal Virginia Specialty Food Market, behind only national brands Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. This year, they have been nominated again in the same category.

With consumer awareness of tea’s health benefits rising, Discover Teas’ popular line of health-oriented WellTeaing herbal blends is another example of Farishon’s savvy. “We use herbs that are picked at the height of their phytopharmaceutical potency,” says in-house herbalist Kenneth Roberts, who formulates the WellTeaing blends by hand. “Back when we started offering our WellTeaings, we were practically the only business around bringing this level of research to teas for wellness and healing. Now people are more aware of the potential for tea to improve their quality of life.”

Indeed, a search for “tea health” or “healthy tea” turns up hundreds of millions of results, and even large national brands are starting to join in. But health isn’t the only thing that sets Discover Teas apart. “Education is a big part of why people come to Discover Teas,” says Mai-Anh Tran, who has been with the company for two years. “Tea can be overwhelming to some, but our expertise and personalized service allow people to ask questions, explore at their own pace, and discover new favorites or even blend their own teas. We aim to offer an experience as welcoming to the newest tea beginner as to the most discerning tea aficionado.” Tran and Emily Kamp, the newest member of the Discover Teas’ four-person team, both come from a teaching background, and the company is known for educational events such as their quarterly tea tastings at both locations and free weekly tea classes at their Williamsburg location.

The Open House event will showcase the education aspect of Discover Teas with free tea tastings, demonstrations, and workshops, but fun is also an important part of the plan for the day. Both locations will also be offering flash sale specials and giveaways, and Discover Teas fans will be treated to a special announcement about an upcoming program launch, the details of which are currently under wraps. “We wouldn’t have reached this milestone without our customers,” says Tran, “so this celebration is for them as much it is for us.”

This mentality is a core component of the Discover Teas identity. As Farishon says, “Year after year, month after month, we ask ourselves how can we do things better, how can we provide more, how can we make a bigger positive impact in people's lives. For us, it's all about the customer and creating a positive, unique experience with tea.”

For more details on the event, go to the Discover Teas website at www.DiscoverTeas.com or to their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DiscoverTeas.

Tea tastings don't have to be scary! Too often, people feel intimidated and think that they have to be sophisticated, ultra-formal tea snobs to enjoy a tea tasting. Here at Discover Teas, that is anything but the truth. At our tea tastings, our primary goal is right in our name—we want to help you discover great teas!

Take our Savors of Grey Tea Tasting, for example. We don't expect everyone who comes to be a tea expert, so we begin with a brief lesson on Earl Grey, talking about the history and key facts of the tea. Then we go into some common features of teas and ways to think about tasting tea before brewing up a few Greys. We'll talk about common ways to identify flavor notes so that you find out what notes call to you when you are tasting different teas. This will help you in the final stage, where you get to blend your very own Grey! It's a fun way to get to know how changes in ingredients and ratios can make a big difference in the flavor of your tea.

What if you are already an experienced tea aficionado? If you are the type who enjoys matching aromas on a flavor wheel, you'll love examining the variations in tea liquor, aroma, and flavor at a tea tasting in order to find what works best for you and taking notes on our tea tasting note cards.

Tea tastings are the kind of rewarding experience that just keep growing in value. Every time you attend a tea tasting, your level of knowledge and expertise will increase, which means that you will always be able to discover new nuances and expand your horizons further than ever before!

After all, one of the best things about a tea tasting (other than tasting delicious tea, of course), is that you can explore as much and in as much detail as you care to. So, what are you waiting for? Check out our event calendar here or on our Facebook page to see when our next tea tasting is, and get ready for your next adventure in tea discovery!