As The Tea Steeps

In this episode, Emeric & Alex Harney introduce you to three extraordinary Harney women who have helped shape the success of the family’s world-renowned tea business. Meet Elyse Harney, grandmother and matriarch, as she recalls fascinating stories about Harney & Son’s early beginnings in a basement of the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, Connecticut. She is followed by Brigitte Harney, mother of Emeric & Alex. Brigitte shares her adventures with tea, from her introductions to tea in her homeland of France to how she became involved with the Harney business through marriage. Next, meet Elyse Harney Morris, Emeric & Alex’s very young aunt who helps to run the Harney real estate business. 

Listen to the newest installment or catch up on all 7 episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Libsyn.

Contrary to rumor, all Harneys don’t come into the world full of knowledge of tea. In the sixth episode in season two of As The Tea Steeps, Emeric & Alex Harney interview two intriguing tea connoisseurs who helped them develop their taste and knowledge of teas early in life. Meet their dear family friend, Marcus Wulf from Hamburger TeeHandel (HTH) in German, where both Harney brothers completed apprenticeships. There’s also Tammo De Burh, Marcus’s business partner, who shares what gets him excited about tea and how he manages to taste 200 teas each day at HTH!

In our fifth episode in season two of As The Tea Steeps, Emeric & Alex interview Simon Bell, the co-founder of Amba Estate, whose teas and lemongrass are so popular with our Harney customers! Emeric and Alex share how Amba and Sri Lankan artisan tea growers are restoring the quality of Ceylon tea.

Great products often start off as great ideas. In our fourth episode in season two of As The Tea Steeps, Emeric & Alex Harney interview Mike Harney and their uncle, Paul Harney. Hemp is the springboard for this conversation as Mike and Paul share how the Hemp Division of Harney & Sons Fine Teas was born. Traverse the story of how these Harney brothers became hemp farmers, how Mike Harney is conquering hemp legislation in various states, and more. Paul also talks about his new affinity for Kava and tea from Vietnam. So pop the kettle on, brew a cup, and settle down to share ideas over tea.

In our third episode in season two of As The Tea Steeps, Emeric & Alex Harney interview the delightful Beverly-Claire Wainwright. Learn about Beverly-Claire’s surprising adventures in tea and the global tea-growing families of which she is a part. From growing tea in an unlikely place, Scotland, to pioneering business development for tea estates in diverse locations such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Louisiana, Beverly-Claire’s transformative work in the industry is the stuff of legend. Hers is a fascinating story perfect for those interested in knowing more about the people, faces and places behind our teas.

In our second episode in season two of As The Tea Steeps, Emeric & Alex Harney meet with Tsuyoshi Sugimoto whose family has been producing exceptional tea for 375 years. For those of you who appreciate our Tencha and much of our Matcha, you’ll be meeting the man who lovingly grows it, right outside his door.

As the Tea Steeps - Sharing Creativity. Welcome to the first episode in season two of As The Tea Steeps, a podcast series about the Harney family, their tea business, and what they share over tea. In the first episode, learn how the business grew from a range of six teas to more than 300 teas and how Mike Harney develops new tea blends. Ever wondered about the art and science that drives our passion for making tea? Pop the kettle on, brew a cup and settle down as we share creativity over tea.

In the final episode of our first season of As The Tea Steeps, Emeric and Alex continue their interview with Paul and Elyse and learn about Paul's story, from his years in the military, into a family trucking company and back to the family tea company. Paul's insight into operations and product differentiation are one of the key factors that Harney & Sons grew the way it did. Tune in for our last episode today!

In the fifth episode of As The Tea Steeps, Emeric and Alex introduce the 4th and 5th children of Harney & Sons Founder,  John Harney. Paul and Elyse grew up in the earliest years of the company, working on weekends helping their father. They share their first memories of the company, their first jobs and how they later came back to work and support Harney & Sons. Grab your favorite cup of tea and sit back for an enjoyable, though brief episode. Tune in every other week for a new episode! 

In the fourth episode of As The Tea Steeps, we introduce our Michael Harney, 2nd son of founder John Harney. Mike shares how he ended up with the great gift of tasting and the early years of the company. Also joining for Episode 4 is renowned tea broker and family friend Marcus Wulf, who helped Michael deliver on his promise to make Harney & Sons a company that has a tradition of delivering directly from the source. Tune in every other week for a new episode!