About Us

Hello tea friends, I’m Matt, founder of BeingwithTea. BeingwithTea was created from a deep appreciation for pure, carefully crafted tea and its ability to slow the pace of the day and draw attention back to flavour, aroma, and the simple act of brewing.

Pure leaf tea rewards attention. From the aroma of dry leaves to the changing flavour across multiple infusions, it offers a depth and texture rarely found in tea bags. Preparing tea becomes less about routine and more about taking a small pause in the day — a chance to slow down and enjoy something carefully made.

As a long-time tea enthusiast with a background in the food and beverage industry, turning this passion into a business has involved a far deeper level of study and exploration. It has meant pulling together years of scattered knowledge, correcting misconceptions, tasting hundreds of teas (a process that never ends), and immersing myself more fully in the world of tea before bringing BeingwithTea online.

It has become my passion to search out and share well-crafted tea. I will offer not only tea of the highest quality but also tea of a “very good” quality. It was my experience through working in the fair-trade retail industry that the primary way of helping producers in their home countries was through volume – though still with well-made products – in order to assist the greatest number of producer partners as possible. Applying that principle to the world of tea, there are thousands of small tea farming families that produce distinctive teas which are suitably priced for everyday drinking. While extraordinary top-tier teas are something I genuinely value and celebrate, I also recognise the richness and diversity found across the wider world of tea. By maintaining a strong commitment to quality while offering teas at different price points and styles, I hope to support a broader range of farmers and producers and make carefully sourced tea accessible to more people.

Fostering Tea Knowledge

New Zealand has a dominant coffee culture, a reasonably well-developed blended tea culture, but an as-yet undeveloped pure tea culture. To help more people discover pure tea, I will be offering in-person Tea Tasting Sessions alongside the online store to help introduce budding tea lovers to the amazing depth and breadth the humble Camellia Sinensis has to offer.

Tea is something I most love to share in person, around the tea table, where conversation and experience naturally unfold together. This is a vital aspect of the spirit of tea. While we in the West have often settled for the convenience of tea bags—usually missing out on higher quality leaves—we intuitively knew that brewing and drinking tea is a healing, restorative ritual. Whether brewed in quiet solitude or shared with others, it serves as a thoughtful pause to reflect on the experience of life and opens a doorway into the landscapes, traditions, and craftsmanship behind each tea.

Partners

I prefer working with smaller suppliers who maintain close relationships with producers, allowing for greater transparency, provenance, and care throughout the sourcing process. Initially I am working with a small number of trusted wholesalers who have direct relationships with tea producers, tea associations or farmer associations in the source country and am particularly interested in seeking out small wholesalers who specialize in particular areas of interest or expertise. In time I may also buy directly from the source for select teas, especially my favourites, or experimental or innovative teas.

I’m delighted to share with New Zealand a thoughtfully curated and continually evolving catalogue. Whether you’re new to loose leaf tea or a long-time tea lover, I hope BeingwithTea offers a welcoming space to explore and enjoy exceptional tea.