About us
From the first journeys across Asia to operations in the heart of Europe — the story of Good Tea begins in 1996, when its founder, then just a passionate tea lover, decided to seek out its origins. He lived in Hong Kong and China and established both friendly and business ties with people such as Wingchi Ip, Tony Jiang, the Chen brothers from Ying Kee Tea House, Lily Yu, Roger Tsang, and others. That trust and those relationships, nurtured for months and years and later growing into friendships, are today the foundation of every import and every pinch of tea that ends up steeped in your cup.
The year 2001 marked the first shipments of quality teas to Europe. Five years later, in 2006, the Good Tea brand was created as a bridge between tea producers and those who long for real tea. The founder left his career in IT and devoted himself fully to tea. Since then, the mission has remained unchanged — to offer teas with the finest qualities, at a fair price, with respect for tradition and producers alike.
Today, two decades later, Good Tea remains true to its principles. It does not invest in big advertising — it always relies on what it does best: customer recommendations. “People keep coming back to us,” says the founder, and it is not an empty phrase. It is confirmation that the path we chose is the right one.
From the Czech Republic to the entire European market — and beyond. The Good Tea assortment is diverse: from accessible everyday teas to true rarities. Thanks to direct import, prices are kept low and quality high. Most teas are stored in sufficient quantity in the Prague warehouse, while aged teas mature in storage in Hong Kong. Aged teas are taken very seriously — it is one of the company’s key focuses. Teas from all over the world arrive and depart throughout the year… harvest after harvest.
At Good Tea we have always preferred direct purchase from growers, where traditional craftsmanship is combined with the wonderful taste of tea. We value small farmers, wild teas, and recipes that are decades or even centuries old. And if a tea has exceptional taste — we simply want to “bring it to as many people as possible.” For us, a fair price that reflects the quality is far more important than inflated margins.
In the end? Don’t choose tea only by its name or description, taste it and judge for yourself — there is no other way.
Radoslav Polášek
founder of Good Tea
What is the origin story for tea?
There is little dispute that tea originated in China, but the story surrounding its origins --- or at least the Story that the Chinese like to tell --- is a bit more fantastical. And why not? A beverage of such prominence deserves a larger-than-life tale after all. According to folklore, tea was discovered several thousand years ago by a know-it-all named Shennong (神農 Shen Nong), who not only invented crazy useful things for his people (like agricultural equipment and the Chinese calendar), but was also a father of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Shenning might or might not have been a real figure in history, but it does not hurt to believe in his existence --- if not his near-supernatural abilities...
Getting serious
In the early days, “tea” was made by mixing tea leaves with ingredients like onions, dates, and ginger. It was also consumed for its perceived health benefits rather than for enjoyment.
It wasn’t until the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE) that tea consumption became more sophisticated activity and specialized teaware was developed to accompany the refined drink. In the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) tea drinking and tea making standards continued to evolve and improve, paving the way for modern tea culture.
The Beverage that changed the World
It wasn't so long ago that tea was such an obsession for the world that it actually led to history-making wars. There was the Boston Tea Party - a massive protest by American colonists against the British government's 1773 Tea Act. The Act imposed a high tax on teas sent from Britain to what were then known as the American colonies, and people were outraged. Protesters boarded trade ships at the Boston Harbor and tossed hundreds of chests of tea into the ocean. That was a lot of money's worth of tea at the time, and the British Parliament reacted by passing even more punitive laws. The American colonists responded with even more protests, leading ultimately to the American Revolution in 1775. And we all know how that ended. It's therefore no exaggeration to say that tea was partly responsible for the birth of the United States of America!