Our Story
Our Story Through the Tea Leaves
34 years ago in Salisbury, Connecticut, proprietor of the historic White Hart Inn, John Harney, developed a passion for fine teas. John was introduced to the world of tea by Stanley Mason, who turned to creating his craft tea blends after years in the corporate world of tea in London & New York. Over time, Mason taught John both the art and business of the craft.
Starting production out of his basement in 1983, John began his journey in mastering the art of tea blending. Serving his distinctive blends with inn guests, he soon found they were coming back for more. Never did John Harney imagine that his small home-run business in Salisbury, Connecticut would turn into a global operation, now headquartered in Millerton, New York filling 90,000 square feet of warehouse space and a new bottling plant in Hudson, New York, and employing over 200 people. The company, which sources, blends, and packages their product from start to finish, has grown from their original six teas, to more than three hundred. John brought in his two sons: Mike & Paul. Their story truly captures the essence of American Business Ingenuity.
Harney & Sons builds on a commitment to deliver customers the finest quality tea possible. This promise, made over 30 years ago, serves as the company's guiding principle. John's sons carry on the tradition. Today, Harney & Sons Tea remains family owned and managed, with three generations of Harneys preserving John's tradition of fine tea and traveling the world in search of the best ingredients.
It is not only the Harney mission to deliver quality tea products to their customers, but also to educate the world of tea history and taste. Whether through their dedicated customer service team, their published guides to tea drinking, or their two tea tasting shops, the Harney & Sons team works to pass on their passion for tea to a broad audience. Harney & Sons remains committed to delivering their customers a superior tea drinking experience.