Cultivating Connection—How Collaboration Shapes Kettl’s Journey
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Time to read 2 min
Perhaps the most meaningful aspect of Kettl’s growth has been the way our partnerships have evolved over time—how they begin as an alignment of minds and grow into something larger alongside the collaborators themselves. At Kettl, we’ve always believed that tea is at its most exciting when it moves beyond leaves and into conversation, collaboration, and community. With so many exciting developments happening within our orbit, this felt like a natural inflection point—a moment to reflect.
In the early days of Kettl, I had a sense that the quality of our teas would attract people who shared a similar pursuit of excellence—chefs, retailers, artists, and designers committed to their craft. But even before that, it was the community of tea producers who shaped my understanding of what true care and stewardship look like. Shinya Yamaguchi was the first to make an outsized impression on me. His commitment to quality is unwavering—you see it in every decision he makes, in what he will and won’t do in its pursuit, and ultimately, you taste it in his teas.
Our ongoing work with Yamaguchi-san is a testament to that shared philosophy. Season after season, we’ve had the privilege of building something together—refining, adjusting, and pushing forward while staying grounded in a mutual respect for the process. There’s a rhythm to it now, a quiet understanding that only comes with time. We still exchange ideas regularly and connect in person multiple times a year, continuing to learn from one another.
Of course, chefs have long been some of the strongest champions of our vision. For over a decade, we’ve collaborated on tea programs, pairings, and events. Now, we’re leaning further into our chef dinner series, with a growing slate of experiences that bring tea into dialogue with food in new and unexpected ways. This month’s collaboration with Win Son is a perfect example—fun, ambitious, and rooted in a shared desire to explore flavor without boundaries. These dinners go beyond pairing; they’re about mutual discovery. They invite us to rethink how flavor works and what tea can be within that conversation.
On the West Coast, our upcoming sessions with Masayoshi Koyama in Los Angeles feel like both a continuation and a new beginning. This partnership reflects what we value most: a deep respect for producers, precision in execution, and a genuine sense of hospitality. Seeing tea thoughtfully integrated into a space like that—not as an afterthought, but as an essential element—underscores how far the category has come.
What excites us most is how these collaborations continue to expand the concentric circles of tea. We’re seeing it move fluidly into the worlds of wine, music, and beyond—into spaces where it hasn’t traditionally had a voice. Recently, our team members Armando and Christopher returned from an inspiring two-day event with Foil Gallery in Montreal, a perfect example of how tea can intersect with entirely different creative disciplines. In these contexts, tea doesn’t lose its identity—it becomes more alive.
All of this is to say: a lot is happening, and even more is on the horizon. These partnerships—new and longstanding—are shaping how we think about tea and where it can go next. And if this moment is any indication, the future is going to be a lot of fun.
Stay tuned. We’re just getting started.
