Text by Katherine Ellis • Photography Courtesy of Seven Senses Organic
A passion for tisanes in the heart of Greece
Earlier this year in March, nine tea companies competed in three separate categories (Camellia Sinensis—Focused Business, Sustainability, and Innovation) for the chance to win the World Tea Expo’s annual competition, The Devan Shah Tea Tycoons. Many rounds of tough competition preceded the finale, in which Lorna Reeves, editor of TeaTime, served as a judge. After listening to remarkable, heartfelt presentations, the winners were carefully chosen, and Seven Senses Organic took home the well-deserved prize for excellence in sustainability.
The innovative company was born out of the brilliance of William Karis and Patricia Graells in 2018. The dynamic duo live in New York, where their corporate office is located, and met serendipitously, not knowing where an exchange of dreams would lead them. When the now business partners first crossed paths, they quickly discovered that they share a lot in common. They both hail from Europe, have family overseas, and grew up spending summers fully immersed in the Mediterranean culture and cuisine. Patricia had just written a thesis on opening a tea company, and she excitedly told William about her ambitions. He then revealed that his family is of Greek descent and is well connected with numerous farms in the country. At this point, the wheels started turning, so to speak, and the possibility of creating something special seemed plausible.
“We started doing local research and noticed that there wasn’t really a company that was fully 100% herbal and organic,” Patricia remarks. “We came up with this idea and worked with local designers in Greece to create the logo and packaging. We ordered 20,000 tins [the minimum order] not knowing what we were doing . . . and then COVID-19 hit.” After a moment of slight panic, the pair made a conscious decision that this endeavor— that had taken up so much of their time, resources, and mental capacity—had to come to fruition. They looked at the silver lining of launching healthy beverages amid a global pandemic and saw a fruitful opportunity in terms of marketing to those who were selective of their consumption in order to stay healthy during that time. The natural products, with the entirety of their inventory coming directly from Greek farms, began to ship to the United States, and the dream partnership was only beginning.
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