FOREST FRIENDLY TEA SINCE 2013

For the past ten years we have been working hard to develop our concept of Forest Friendly Tea in Northern Thailand and in that time established ourselves on the thai market under the name Monsoon Tea Company. In the summer of 2022 we decided to move forwards internationally under the new name Monteaco, but we are still the same people producing the same fantastic tea.

By working together with nature instead of working against it, we at Monteaco now reap all the benefits a healthy ecosystem offers us. We don't need any pesticides, fertilizers or irrigation systems as all of this is given to us for free.

If there is one insect who wants to eat our tea, there is always another insect who wants to eat the first one! The fallen leaves of the trees provide our soil with all the nutrition it needs, and the strong root systems together with a shadowy canopy keep our plants nourished and thriving.

Our goal is to provide the most sustainably produced tea in the world in the mountains of Northern Thailand and show that it is possible to produce Forest Friendly tea in harmony with nature and prove that we can make a difference in creating a more sustainable tea industry.

HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY

Our founder and in-house tea master Kenneth Rimdahl has worked in the tea industry for more than 30 years, opening his first tea shop in Madrid in 1992. In the late 2000s, Kenneth wanted a new challenge and decided to leave Spain for Thailand to start working closer to the source of the products he was selling.

By creating strong relationships with the farmers he gained further understanding of the tea industry and saw closely the impact traditional tea had on its surroundings. Where there is tea, there used to be forest, and where there is tea, biodiversity is gone.
Kenneth has over years grown to become an important figure of the culture of tea and international media often seek his experience as they are drawn in by his knowledge and passion for not only tea, but also nature and creating a sustainable business that's good for nature, the people producing the product, and the customers.

He has been invited to talk at TedX events, UN Conferences, and is referenced in the new Tea bible "The Tale of Tea". He is lifted for his engagement and work in creating and developing the concept of Forest Friendly Tea and you will most often either find him up in the mountains visiting producers or holding tea workshops at our headquarters in Chiang Mai.

OUR TEAS

All our teas are produced according to our Forest Friendly methods and produced in the mountains of Northern Thailand.

We have created long lasting relationships with our tea producers over the past ten years and have together developed new ways of shining a spotlight on tea from Thailand. Each producer makes tea in their signature way, with different production methods and different ways to handle the leaves. Our tea master Kenneth Rimdahl approves each batch of tea arriving from the mountains and often makes trips to discuss new flavors and production methods.

SOME OF OUR PRODUCERS

  • John

    John was our first producer of Forest Friendly Tea in Northern Thailand and together we have for the past ten years been working closely together to create some fantastic teas.

    Learn more and shop tea made by John 

  • Dhara

    Our talented friend Dhara grew up with tea all around her as her father ran a succesful tea business. All her teas are handpicked and processed traditionally with her team in Northern Thailand.

    Learn more and shop tea made by Dhara 

  • Edward

    Edward is not just an incredible tea maker but also a great friend and host whenever we come to visit him and his family up in the mountains. Together we are reforesting land cut down by previous generations.

    Learn more and shop tea made by Edward 

Kenneth Rimdahl

Founder

Kenneth Rimdahl is an entrepreneur and
biodiversity advocate with a deep-rooted passion for tea. He began his journey in 1994 by opening his first tea shop in Madrid, Spain, as part of the East West Company, which has since expanded to over 150 shops globally. In 2012, Kenneth founded Monsoon Tea Company in Northern Thailand, a company dedicated to using forest-friendly farming practices to protect and enhance biodiversity.

As the inventor of the Forest Friendly Tea concept and the Rimdahl Scale, a method for assessing biodiversity, Kenneth has been a pioneer in sustainable farming. Under his leadership, Monsoon Tea Company has grown to include eight retail outlets in Thailand and supplies top hotels and restaurants with premium teas. Kenneth's efforts have helped develop Thai forest-grown tea as a growing export product through Monteaco.

A vocal advocate for biodiversity, Kenneth has shared his insights in a TEDx Talk, contributed to academic literature, and appeared in numerous media interviews. His work continues to inspire a global movement towards sustainable farming and environmental stewardship.