Nothing about this tea brand is rubbish: literally

New Zealand’s only tea brand designed to help improve mental health is now expanding its mission to benefit the environment too.

Better Tea Co. was created by Kiwi Tamarin Howse, the result of her lived experience with mental health struggles during the pandemic.

“My colleagues and I were going through redundancy in our corporate organisation. To combat the stress and uncertainty we were experiencing, we started the ritual of brewing and sharing a pot of tea on our breaks, which we jokingly referred to as our anxie-tea breaks,” Tamarin says.

“This cup of tea became a ritual in our day, something we could all look forward to, and it sparked an idea. What if I could create a tea that could not only foster conversations about mental health and how we are feeling but also help relieve symptoms of stress and anxiety, too?”

After 18 months of research, testing and studying the medicinal properties of plants, Tamarin created her first blend, aptly named Anxietea.

It’s made with a unique blend of ingredients, including St John’s Wort and Raspberry Leaf, known to help bring the body back to a state of calm.

But Anxietea is not only soothing for the body, it’s designed to soothe the soul too.

“When my anxiety was at its worst, I was surprised at how difficult it was for me to talk about it and get help. It took me months to tell my boss why I wasn’t coming to work as often. I was worried it would negatively impact my career,” says Tamarin.

“Saying “I have anxiety” out loud was genuinely terrifying. So the ‘on-the-nose’ name is to help remove the stigma of speaking out when things are not OK.”

Better Tea Co. has expanded its range to include ‘Gut Feelings’ and ‘Good Vibes’ teas and a variety of other wellness products.

It’s the country’s only tea brand that focuses on mental health, donating five percent of its profit to the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation.

The award-winning tea range is also now available in fully compostable packaging, designed to biodegrade in a home compost bin within 12 weeks.

“These pouches embody our unwavering commitment to sustainable practices and unparalleled quality,” Tamarin says.

“We always want to do better. That’s better for our customers and better for our world. The non-GMO bioplastic used in our packaging has a carbon footprint 75 times less than conventional plastics.”

Each pouch has a recyclable tin tie to ensure freshness for every brew, and the packaging is printed with soy and eco-inks.

Better Tea Co wants to lead the way when it comes to offering responsible packaging and quality products. “There is a lot of evidence to suggest spending time in nature can boost your mental health, so if we are passionate about supporting mental health then we need to do our part to support the environment too,” says Tamarin.