Founded in 1972, Stash Tea Company originally operated out of an old Portland Victorian style house,
supplying loose herbal teas and bulk herbs to natural food stores. Starting in 1975, 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. Today, Stash Tea Company is one
of the largest specialty tea companies in the United States. 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.
