REBUILD + REGROW
Our story of rebuilding after Hurricane Helene.
On Sept. 27, 2024 our entire community was struck by the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Our facility, a 6,000 sq. ft. building located just east of Biltmore Village, was swept away entirely by the catastrophic flooding of the Swannanoa River. We lost all of our equipment, herbs, inventory and offices. It was our home as a team, and a space we had put so much love and care into. While devastated, we quickly realized that we did not lose everything.
The support from our customers, farmers, industry folks, community began to pour in - almost overwhelmingly at times. It was so incredible. People shared stories of our teas. Moments that had brought them joy. Blends that had helped them through trying times in their own lives.
We knew we had to rebuild.
That those relationships truly meant something, and that they hadn’t gone away, only strengthened. We still had our amazing passionate team, customers, and our brand that we had lovingly built over the the years. Though we lost a lot of assets, we were far from losing everything.
There was a simple irony that the day before the flood - while we had raised everything we could up in case water seeped into our building, we had also packed out exactly enough to set up at the farmer’s market that weekend. So there we were, eight years later, back to our beginnings - a table, a tent and a small box of craft teas.
Our tea community stepped in to offer co-manufacturing (making our teas until we could repurchase equipment), to donate herbs & tea for producing our blends, donating time to help us ship packages, and individuals across the nation (and world even) donated dollars and profound words of encouragement. Thanks to the support of family, friends, customers and strangers across the world, we are rebuilding. We are regrowing. And our story continues to brew, one cup at a time.
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Asheville Tea Company
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