Serving Up Success One Sip at a Time

A journey to health leads to a bourgeoning tea company

By Jen Reed

Imagine you're sitting at lunch when a stranger approaches you with a package in hand. “I love your products,” they say, having overheard your conversation. This is exactly what happened to Adrienne Arrington-Kenion, founder of Queen Esther Teas, as she and I recently met for lunch. As the admirer walked away, Adrienne beamed with pride. “That will never get old,” she confesses.

If you had told Adrienne five years ago that her teas would become a household name in the lower Cape Fear region, she might have laughed in disbelief. Starting a company was never her plan. Instead, it all began with a quest to find relief from relentless gastro issues. Antacids and other medications offered little help, so Adrienne turned to the wisdom of the past.

“People had to have done something to take care of their health before medication was available,” she says. Her search led her to herbal remedies that promised relief. And from there, the seed for Queen Esther Teas was planted—and her company borne, almost by accident.

“I wasn’t sure at first how to incorporate these different herbs into my diet until I found out I could add them to hot water,” she says. 

Not only did consuming the tea work, but it also inspired her to research other herb mixtures that could address ailments that her friends and family shared with her. They, too, experienced the benefits of the elixirs and eventually insisted on paying her for what she had done for them.

“I thought, ‘pay me?’ I was just trying to let the people I love in on the remedy I had found. I wasn’t thinking about anything beyond that,” she explains. 

But, as word got out and the nudging from family and friends continued, Adrienne decided to take that leap of faith. With a carefully curated blend of herbs designed to address such issues as heartburn, indigestion, insomnia, and more, along came her website and the business started to flourish.

The name Queen Esther Teas is a tribute to her grandmother, a significant influence in her life. “She treated me like a queen,” she says. “She taught me values I have carried into my adult life.”

She calls Queen Esther Teas an “invitation to embark on a life-changing journey that celebrates well-being, harmony, and revitalization.”

The herbs used are locally sourced. Her blends are created using loose teas. As she explains, they offer superior flavor since they contain whole leaves rather than broken pieces. Adrienne is also meticulous about the flavor when creating her blends. Although the tea is beneficial for health, Adrienne said she wants her teas to taste good. As a result, she is using teas with naturally vibrant and pleasing flavors, ensuring anyone who drinks the teas will enjoy them and feel good from drinking them.

The products were initially sold online, and she took advantage of distribution, mostly through local restaurants like The Kitchen Sink, Cheesesmith, and On Thyme restaurants just to name a few. But it was the farmers markets that enabled her to reach a broader audience and introduce Queen Esther Teas to more people. 

Today, most of her sales come from farmers markets and festivals, including the N.C. Azalea Festival in Wilmington and the N.C. Fourth of July Festival in Southport. But she is also set to move into her own brick-and-mortar shop at Poplar Grove in Wilmington this fall.

Operating Queen Esther Teas has become a full-time endeavor, so she’s enlisted the help of her own family, including her eldest son who, at 16, is managing her social media. She has also hired three associates who work with her at the farmers markets and have enabled her to expand the number of sites they are able to work at in a week. They will also be working in the shop once it’s opened.

As the farmers market season slows down moving into the fall, Adrienne is hoping to expand her offerings to include more tea party events. She has held several at locations throughout the greater Wilmington area, each with a theme. The events provide another opportunity to introduce her products to a new audience.

“The tea parties are an experience and provide another way that people who may not know about us can learn and enjoy, and maybe make a new friend along the way,” she adds.

Adrienne had previously been employed as a behavioral therapist with the local school system. And like many during the onset of the pandemic, she found her circumstances changed. So, she turned that challenge into this opportunity and has not looked back. In fact, she is looking ahead to what’s next for her company. It’s not lost on her that living in a port city presents some interesting opportunities.

“I’m thinking big,” she confesses with a smile. It’s just that grit and determination that can make Queen Esther Teas a household name – not only to Wilmington – but to the world that awaits.

For more information or to purchase Queen Esther Teas products, visit queenestherteas.com