— sourcing

small gardens, named hands.

Every tin we ship can be traced back to a person, a slope, and a season. We buy direct, pay above market, and visit before we list. Slow tea begins long before the kettle.

our four commitments
  • · direct trade — no broker between cup and grower
  • · prices agreed pre-harvest, 1.4–2.2× local auction
  • · every garden visited at least once before we list
  • · packaging that returns to earth or to the foundry

gardens we work with

  • Yunnan, China
    ancient-tree pu-erh & wild black
    1,600–2,100 m
  • Uji, Japan
    shaded matcha & gyokuro
    200–400 m
  • Darjeeling, India
    first-flush muscatel
    1,200–2,000 m
  • Wuyi, Fujian
    rock oolong & lapsang
    600–1,100 m
  • Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
    high-grown ceylon
    1,800–2,400 m

questions, answered slowly.

Where do your teas come from?

Direct from small family gardens in Yunnan, Uji, Darjeeling, Wuyi, and the highlands of Sri Lanka. Every tin lists the garden, harvest year, and elevation.

Do you pay above market price?

Yes. We pay 1.4–2.2× the local auction price, agreed before harvest, so growers can plan a season instead of chasing a number.

Is your packaging sustainable?

Tins are infinitely recyclable steel. Inner liner is compostable cellulose. Mailers are 100% recycled, FSC-certified kraft. No plastic windows, no foil.

Are your teas organic?

Most are organic by practice — many small gardens cannot afford the certification but farm without synthetic inputs. We visit, taste, and verify before listing.

Slow down. Sip. Reflect. Grow.  ·   We believe the most radical thing you can do in 2026 is to sit with your cup until it’s empty — and notice who is left when it is.

— the 6tea studio
— dispatch

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