Evgeny Smoley founded Teamotea on a simple conviction — that a tea business is only as trustworthy as the relationship behind the leaf. From the start he kept those relationships direct: visiting the gardens of China and Taiwan, meeting the growers, and buying from the bush rather than through the long chain of traders that obscures both price and provenance.
That approach became the company. Under his direction Teamotea grew from sourcing into a full development partner — private-label production, wholesale of more than 500 single-origin Chinese teas, turnkey businesses, franchise models, and the brand and packaging design that makes a product chosen on the shelf. More than 70 companies worldwide have since been built with Teamotea.
Smoley remains the principal voice of the company, working with partners from the first order to the finished brand — and holding to the belief that knowing the origin is the surest way to trust the cup.