The VT Story

Volition Tea was born because we see a need to amplify the voice of tea farmers who have fought the high-yield mindset and usage of chemical pesticides. They care deeply about the sustainability of their soil and plants, so we want to create a platform to celebrate them and their teas. What’s more, every purchase you make is validation of their volition to do the right thing.

Our Mission

By building a tea experience that’s deeply rooted in humanity, we strive to help tea drinkers everywhere develop a deep understanding and appreciation of tea and its producers.

  • woman holding young tea leaves

    Quality

    Above all, we are here to provide you with the best quality tea that you can enjoy daily. From farming methods to the color of the tea liquor, we rigorously assess each tea’s quality before introducing it to you.

  • Young tea leaves that are withering while naturally sun dried and then halting the oxidative processes.

    Sustainability

    Environmental sustainability is our farmers’ commitment to us that no tea is grown using chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Fiscal sustainability is VT’s commitment to them that we will compensate the farmers above market to help create financial stability so they can improve their social wellbeing and farming practice.

    Learn more about our operating model

  • Tea pouring of a traditional tea ceremony

    Humility

    VT comes to each person, whether a tea drinker or a tea farmer, with ears to listen and heart to empathize, without commands, assumptions or judgment. We embrace feedback and unknowns, for which there are many.

Meet the Founder

This is Annie, founder of Volition Tea and a 1st generation Chinese American queer woman.

To me, tea has always been a point of convergence, bringing family and friends together, catching up on each other’s life over delicious cups of tea.

With hate crimes against my community catching national spotlight, I founded VT in 2021 with a dedicated focus on uplifting tea farmers who for hundreds of years have been rendered invisible in the western consumer world.

Through storytelling, we hope to foster empathy across communities. We may speak different languages and eat different cuisines; but these farmers experience life’s ebbs and flows just like all of us.

Welcome to your VT journey, cheers!