Harney & Sons Podcast

“I first had the idea for the Podcast after an internal brainstorm of how to create interesting content for our customers,” said Emeric Harney, Marketing Director of Harney & Sons Tea and Host of As the Tea Steeps. “It felt important to share the story of our family company, and who better to share it than family members ourselves. I really wanted to convey the warmth and passion that our family has for tea and each other.”

Harney & Sons approached us in part because our years of working together had created an understanding of the three generations of Harneys involved in building the successful company it is today. We created a story arc, composed questions, participated in all recordings and did the first edit of all material. However, it was also very much a collaborative effort with Alex and Emeric Harney, grandsons of the company’s founder, John Harney acting as interviewers and hosts. The episodes include personal accounts from family, friends, and industry experts who provide an inside look into the beginnings of the Harney & Sons’ story. Family matriarch, Elyse Harney, shares fond memories of her husband, John Harney, and how together they raised a family and built such a successful tea empire. Each story shines light on how just a few individuals shaped the public perception of tea in the 21st century.

“People forget that it wasn’t long ago that premium loose leaf tea options were not offered in the U.S.,” Emeric Harney explained. “It is incredibly interesting to hear about the different people and random moments that inspired the rise of specialty tea in a coffee-centric country.”

Harney & Sons Tea is a family owned and operated global tea company founded by John Harney in 1983. The company grew quickly from its original six tea flavors, to more than three hundred with three generations of Harneys preserving John’s tradition of fine tea and traveling the world in search of the best ingredients. Headquartered in Millerton, New York, the family business sells its tea online as well as in luxury shops, coffee shops and retailers around the world. Some of its best selling tea includes Chamomile, Earl Grey, Hot Cinnamon Spice, Organic Peppermint and Pomegranate Oolong. Rich in tradition and experience, Harney & Sons sources, blends and packages its products from start to finish.

In “As the Tea Steeps,” the six 15-20 minute episodes include many amusing stories and epic tales recounted by those who lived them, including Elyse Harney, Mike and Paul Harney, sons of John and Elyse Harney are vice presidents and run the company today. Their sister, Elyse Harney Morris tells of her years selling Harney tea into posh hotels. Alex and Emeric Harney, two of Mike Harney’s sons round out the family participants. more fascinating revelations are told by James Norwood Pratt, international tea connoisseur and other tea experts.

Welcome to the first episode of As The Tea Steeps, a podcast series about how tea shaped our family and how our family shaped tea in 21st century America. In our debut episode, Emeric & Alex Harney sit down with their grandmother and wife of Harney & Sons Founder, Elyse Harney.

Since “As the Tea Steeps” was launched it has had tens of thousands of downloads on iTunes, Google Play, and libsyn.