MONTEACO

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. Since the summer of 2022 we are moving forwards internationally under the new name Monteaco. ´

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.

On this international journey, we are still the same people behind the scenes providing the same sustainable tea from the mountains of Northern Thailand with the same goal: By showing that it is possible to produce Forest Friendly tea in harmony with nature, we prove that a long-term shift toward a more sustainable tea industry is not just a dream, but our future.

HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY

The founder and 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.

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.

THE TEA FAUNA PROJECT

We work with entomologist Alexey Reshchikov to study biodiversity around tea plants in Southeast Asia. So far this work has resulted in the discovery and description of two new species of wasps, one which has gotten named after our founder Kenneth.

We need an increased knowledge about nature to build successful conservation strategies and with this project we hope to build improved biodiversity databases and inspire ordinary people to learn and care more about what species live amongst us.

Learn more about the project here

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. Eeach 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 

Who are we?

  • Kenneth Rimdahl

    Kenneth is the founder of Monteaco and has been working in the tea industry since the early 90's. For the past decade he has dedicated his life to developing Forest Friendly Tea and is using his experience in the tea world to protect nature. He has a unique ability of making friends with anyone in a short period of time and is the tea master behind creating our different pure teas and blends in collaboration with our producers.

  • Ryan Price

    Ryan joined the team in 2017 when he met Kenneth on a trip to Chiang Mai and instantly fell in love with the concept of protecting nature through selling tea. With a background in business and accounting in The U.S, Ryan has been incredibly important in helping the company grow over the past years and is now integral in running the day-to-day business from Bangkok. If you have any questions regarding numbers, Ryan is the guy to talk to.

  • William Persson

    William was studying for a degree in political science when he one day decided that he wanted to follow his dreams and become a photographer. In 2018 he called his uncle Kenneth in Thailand who quickly invited him to join the team and document the important work they were doing in the tea forests. Now William is the photographer, social media manager and European representative of Monteaco.