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Baltimore Company Equitea Rolls Out First Batch Of Canned Tea

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The health benefits of tea are well studied, and a local Black-owned tea company is expanding in hopes of getting the popular beverage into the hands of more people.

Watching the first run of his tea roll off the canning line, The Equitea Company co-founder and West Baltimore native Quentin Vennie can't help but think about how far his company has come.

"It's mind-blowing," said Vennie. "This wasn't, it wasn't a part of the original plan for Equitea."

The all-natural, organic tea company was founded in 2020. A product inspired by Quentin's own personal journey, it's a drink that he says helped him overcome anxiety, depression, and even a prescription pill addiction.

"I went into the darkest places that any human can go," Vennie said. "I was fortunate and blessed to be able to figure out my way out."

After using green tea to help with his son's ADHD, he wanted to make sure a high-quality tea was available to everyone.

"Coming from where I come from, we're faced with so many challenges just trying to be human beings," Vennie said. "Having access to something that's good for us should not be one of those challenges."

So he and his wife launched the tea company, first selling loose leaf tea and now a ready-to-drink option, showing his peers that it's possible to overcome the odds, and it's okay to take some time to care for yourself.

"So often, self-care is looked at as selfish as opposed to necessary," Vennie said.

 

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