Kai Lembke admits that he likes to add a splash of fresh lemon juice to Matcha tea: "Anyone hearing this in Japan would shudder at the thought," he laughs. "It just goes to show that there are no fixed rules on how to enjoy tea. And we would never presume to insist that our way of drinking tea is the right way. However, when founding the company, we did develop certain principles that are indeed non-negotiable, and we coined the slogan 'diemitohne' to describe our approach."

'Diemitohne'

The first of these principles concerns the exclusive use of organically grown ingredients for making exceptional teas that do without flavorings or other additives. With the stipulation that stick & lembnis teas must be strictly natural in the strictest sense, the founders faced the challenge of creating delicious teas without the taste-enhancing flavors usually added.

"I have nothing against teas flavored with essences or oils, it's just that we decided that the natural flavors of fruits, herbs, and tea should unfold on their own in our teas," explains Kai Lembke. "Abstaining from flavors also means that you will not find Earl Grey tea in our assortment, although it is one of the best-selling tea varieties in Germany. This is because its flavor comes from an aroma essence extracted from the peel of bergamot oranges, which have no taste in dried form." This does not mean there will never be Earl Grey tea in the assortment, but rather that it currently does not fit the company's principles.

True Enjoyment Takes Time

Just as with natural teas that need to steep a little longer to develop their full flavor, the company founders needed patience until their concept succeeded. Meanwhile, stick & lembke offers tea lovers a range of 39 different herbal, fruit, spice, and green teas as well as Japanese Matcha powder. "We started with an assortment of initially 17 tea types," recalls Kai Lembke, who, like his business partner and co-managing director Thorsten Stick, brings many years of experience in the tea industry into their joint venture.

Yet, it took a while until their work paid off financially. "We needed a considerable initial investment to get our first container full of organic tea, and it took another nine months before we could write our first invoice," says Kai Lembke. "Our banker told us she couldn't decide whether we were crazy or knew what we were doing."

Transparent Supply Chains

Looking back, it becomes clear that the two founders indeed had their finger on the pulse of the time. Their second principle was the complete transparency of the supply chain. They were able to trace the tea not just to a region but to a specific garden and market the tea as such. They also were pleased that most of their suppliers became friends.

"We make tea for and with friends," confirms Kai Lembke. "For example, we use cotton tea bags which are sewn for us by friends in Marrakesh. They have also previously sewn herbal bags for the cosmetics brand Yves Rocher. The seamstresses undergo a two-year training before they can sew the bags to our high-quality standards."

Green Superfood

One of the company’s biggest successes is its Matcha tea powder. Just as the market for Matcha began to boom, the company founders approached the subject with their typical rigor. "For us, the product had to meet certain criteria, otherwise, it was simply not Matcha," says Kai Lembke. "We source our organic Matcha exclusively from Japan, from tea farmers who strictly adhere to the traditional methods."

The tea plants are shaded four weeks before harvest. The lack of sunlight causes them to produce more chlorophyll, which is responsible for the intense green color and the tart taste. "Our hand-picked organic Matcha is only made from the flesh of high-quality Tencha green tea leaves," continues Kai Lembrell. "The stick lembke organic Matcha comes from selected prefectures, including Shizuoka."

Successful with Private Label

Another early decision by the company founders has proven effective over the past few years. "We initially wanted to create a brand, but we quickly faced the question of whether we should also produce under a Private Label," explains Kai Lembke. "I was not convinced, but my partner changed my mind. Today, our revenues are split between our own branded teas, which are sold in leading supermarket chains, and private label products."

However, not every decision has proven to be correct in retrospect. "Ten years ago, I was convinced that vegetable teas would also be well received by our customers," recalls Kai Lembke with a smile. "I certainly wasn't the only one who thought they would be a tasty addition to the portfolio, but the idea did not catch on with consumers."

Trend-Sustaining Growth

They may have been too ahead of their time. Other seasonal products, such as cold-brewed teas for the summer or spice teas for the winter, were more successful. "We are growing against the trend. This makes us look very positively into the Sfuture," concludes Kai Lembryke.