Charleston Tea Garden
Charleston Tea Garden operates North America's oldest commercial tea farm on a 127-acre site on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, producing 100% American-grown teas across 320+ Camellia Sinensis varieties. It sells loose leaf teas, pyramid tea bags, First Flush seasonal teas, branded apparel and housewares via Shopify e-commerce, an on-site gift shop, and wholesale, and runs a tourism program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersWadmalaw Island, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Charleston Tea Garden does
Charleston Tea Garden operates a 127-acre working tea farm on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, and is the oldest commercial tea garden in North America and the only producer of tea made entirely from U.S.-grown leaves (American Classic). The company cultivates over 320 varieties of Camellia Sinensis and produces nine tea flavors plus seasonal First Flush offerings. Operations span cultivation, propagation (in a state-of-the-art, climate-controlled greenhouse with automated watering and shade panels), on-site tea processing in a factory with public viewing galleries, a tourism program (free factory tours, paid trolley tours, group tours, and a Snap! Tours–branded Wadmalaw Adventure Tour), and multi-channel distribution. The site attracts 65,000+ visitors annually to its gift shop.
The product portfolio is broad and tiered: loose leaf teas (2.3 oz pouches at $11.95), pyramid tea bags ($9.95/box of 12), limited First Flush SKUs including the 250th Anniversary Tin at $22, gift assortments and wooden tea chests, branded apparel ($28–$60), housewares ($5.95–$98), and a Camille Beckman co-developed Bath & Body line (lip balm, hand therapy, body silk, cleansing gel, soap). Distribution combines a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront, the on-site retail gift shop, and a wholesale channel with a store locator. Marketing is conducted through organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X), SEO-optimized site content, email list capture, blog content, and on-property events including weddings and private functions. The company also manages gift cards starting at $10.
Charleston Tea Garden is privately held and has been a partner/operating subsidiary of Bigelow Tea Company since 2003, when the Bigelow family acquired the business from founder William Barclay Hall to preserve it from development. The company markets itself as "A Member of the Bigelow Tea Family" and benefits from Bigelow's distribution and category expertise. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and there is no venture capital or institutional investment structure. The employee base is reported in the 11–50 range, consistent with a mid-small privately held consumer brand whose product surface is diversified across tea, apparel, housewares, body care, and tourism experiences.
Charleston Tea Garden firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Charleston Tea Garden
- Legal name
- Charleston Tea Garden
- Website
- https://charlestonteagarden.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Charleston Tea Garden operates North America's oldest commercial tea farm on a 127-acre site on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, producing 100% American-grown teas across 320+ Camellia Sinensis varieties. It sells loose leaf teas, pyramid tea bags, First Flush seasonal teas, branded apparel and housewares via Shopify e-commerce, an on-site gift shop, and wholesale, and runs a tourism program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Charleston Tea Garden industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Tea
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Tea, Coffee & Cocoa Farming (Beverage Specialty Crops) (AFAGAGAG), Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Specialty Tea Shops (Loose-Leaf, Tea Bars) (THAFAKAD)
Keywords
Where Charleston Tea Garden is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wadmalaw Island
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Charleston Tea Garden business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tea Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of tea products including loose leaf teas in tins and pouches, pyramid tea bags, and specialty teas like First Flush. Products are sold through the e-commerce website and on-site gift shop. The company offers various tea varieties including American Classic, Charleston Breakfast, Earl Grey, and flavored teas.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, long-sleeve shirts), housewares (mugs, tea pots, candles, puzzles), body products (lip balm, hand therapy, body silk), and souvenirs. Products sold through e-commerce and physical gift shop.
- Trolley Tours: Paid trolley tours offering 35-40 minute rides through tea fields with stops at the greenhouse. Additional group tour offerings for parties of 15 or more. Also offers the Wadmalaw Adventure Tour through partnership with Snap! Tours.
- Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale distribution of tea products and merchandise through third-party retailers, accessible via the wholesale information page and store locator.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Loose Leaf Tea Pouches |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pyramid Tea Bags |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | First Flush Tea |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel - T-Shirts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Charleston Tea Garden product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Charleston Tea Garden cultivates Camellia Sinensis across 127 acres on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, producing 100% American-grown loose leaf teas, pyramid tea bags, and limited First Flush seasonal teas in multiple flavors. The company sells these teas, branded apparel, bath and body products, and housewares directly to consumers through its Shopify e-commerce site and on-site gift shop, while also operating as a tourism destination offering free factory tours and paid trolley tours through the tea fields.
Product overview
Charleston Tea Garden is North America's oldest tea garden, producing 100% American-grown tea across 127 acres on Wadmalaw Island, SC. The company offers a diversified portfolio of tea products (American Classic Tea loose leaf and pyramid tea bags in multiple flavors including Charleston Breakfast, Earl Grey, Carolina Mint, Cinnamon Spice, Island Green, Rockville Raspberry, and Peachy Peach), seasonal First Flush teas, gift assortments, body care products (in partnership with Camille Beckman), branded apparel, housewares, and specialty foods. The company also operates experiential tourism offerings including free factory tours, fee-based trolley tours through tea fields with greenhouse visits, and third-party adventure tours. The entire operation is part of the Bigelow Tea family, acquired in 2003.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- American Classic Tea: The signature tea brand of Charleston Tea Garden, producing teas made entirely from U.S.-grown leaves. Includes various flavors such as Charleston Breakfast, Island Green Mint, Carolina Mint, Cinnamon Spice, Earl Grey, and more.
Quantifiable outcome
- 65,000+ visitors annually to the gift shop
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Charleston Tea Garden
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Charleston Tea Garden technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Charleston Tea Garden partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Bigelow Tea CompanycoreThe Bigelow family purchased the Charleston Tea Garden in 2003 from William Barclay Hall to preserve the garden from being sold to developers. Under Bigelow ownership, the garden has prospered, unveiling new tea varieties while maintaining the iconic 'American Classic' blend. The partnership brought decades of tea expertise to the garden. In 2020, the name was changed from Charleston Tea Plantation to Charleston Tea Garden. The company markets itself as 'A Member of the Bigelow Tea Family' and 'a Bigelow Tea Company partner.'
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Charleston Tea Garden competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Adagio Teas: DTC-focused specialty tea retailer with broad loose leaf catalog and sampler/gift offerings. Comparable in product format (loose leaf, pyramid-style, flavored blends) and direct-to-consumer e-commerce model.
- Stash Tea: U.S.-based premium tea brand offering loose leaf, bags, and gift sets across grocery and DTC. Comparable as a specialty tea CPG competing for similar flavored/black tea SKUs and gifting use cases.
- Mariage Frères: Premium French tea house blending, retailing, and operating destination tea salons and museums. Comparable as a heritage premium tea brand combining blended teas, branded tea rooms, and tourism/experiential retail.
- Harney & Sons: Family-owned premium tea company offering loose leaf, sachets, and tasting room experiences. Comparable as a heritage-driven premium tea brand with both retail/tourism components and broad wholesale distribution.
- Republic of Tea: Premium specialty tea brand selling loose leaf, tea bags, and gift assortments through DTC and wholesale channels. Closely comparable as a U.S.-based premium tea CPG brand competing for similar shelf space and gifting occasions.
Broad incumbents
- Celestial Seasonings: One of the largest U.S. specialty tea brands (Hain Celestial). Comparable as a flavored/herbal tea CPG brand competing for the same mass-market shelf and household tea occasions.
- Teavana (Starbucks): Premium tea brand now integrated into Starbucks retail and foodservice. Comparable as a premium loose-leaf and bagged tea competitor with significant foodservice distribution muscle.
- Bigelow Tea Company: Parent company and largest tea brand owned by the Bigelow family. Directly comparable as a specialty/premium tea manufacturer and wholesaler, and the parent explicitly markets Charleston Tea Garden as 'A Member of the Bigelow Tea Family,' sharing distribution and category expertise.
- Twinings: Global heritage tea brand with broad U.S. distribution. Comparable as a mainstream black/green/flavored tea competitor in grocery, hospitality, and DTC channels.
Emerging players
- T2 Tea: Specialty tea retailer with strong experiential store concept and broad flavored/blended tea portfolio. Comparable as a design-led premium tea brand combining retail stores, gifting, and DTC.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Charleston Tea Garden social profiles
Digital presenceCharleston Tea Garden financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Charleston Tea Garden leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Charleston Tea Garden funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Charleston Tea Garden M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Charleston Tea Garden
What does Charleston Tea Garden do?
Charleston Tea Garden cultivates Camellia Sinensis across 127 acres on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, producing 100% American-grown loose leaf teas, pyramid tea bags, and limited First Flush seasonal teas in multiple flavors. The company sells these teas, branded apparel, bath and body products, and housewares directly to consumers through its Shopify e-commerce site and on-site gift shop, while also operating as a tourism destination offering free factory tours and paid trolley tours through the tea fields.
Is Charleston Tea Garden a public or private company?
Charleston Tea Garden is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Charleston Tea Garden founded?
Charleston Tea Garden was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Charleston Tea Garden based?
Charleston Tea Garden is headquartered in Wadmalaw Island, United States, in the North America region.
How does Charleston Tea Garden make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tea Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales, trolley Tours and wholesale Distribution.
Who are Charleston Tea Garden's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Adagio Teas, Stash Tea, Mariage Frères, Harney & Sons and Republic of Tea. Broad incumbents are Celestial Seasonings, Teavana (Starbucks), Bigelow Tea Company and Twinings. T2 Tea is listed as an emerging player.
Does Charleston Tea Garden have an API?
No public API is recorded for Charleston Tea Garden.
What industry is Charleston Tea Garden in?
Charleston Tea Garden's product category is Specialty Tea. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAHAE, Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates), with a secondary code of AFAGAGAG, Tea, Coffee & Cocoa Farming (Beverage Specialty Crops). Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2844.