Tea Mama: A Love Letter to St. Croix

M.A. Dworkin

St. Croix - It’s one thing to love what you’re doing. But when you also love the place where you’re doing it and the people you’re doing it for, you’ve hit a grand slam in the world of business. 

Dani Facenda and her niece Annabel are two such people who have made St. Croix their home and brought with them Tea Mama teas which have taken the tea lovers on St. Croix by storm. Their wonderful product which  comes in all flavors is distributed in grocery stores and retail shops all over the island.

“When my niece Annabel moved to St. Croix in 2000, Tea Mama truly blossomed,” said Ms. Facenda. “She became Tea Mama’s Master Brewer and together we began brewing and bottling our teas in small batches, supplying grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants across the island. As more people asked for ways to bring the tea home to loved ones, we expanded into dried herbal blends. Today, we also create all-natural wellness shots and even a grab-and-go Caribbean cocktail made in collaboration with Mutiny Vodka, blending their turmeric ginger vodka with our traditional bush tea.”

Tea Mama’s journey into traditional Caribbean bush tea began when a kind elder shared their version of bush tea with Ms. Facenda. It was a recipe that had been passed down from Crucian generation to generation. And Ms. Facenda began her journey into the world of brewing teas with an enormous amount of gratitude and humbleness for the opportunity to pass on this wonderful recipe to the current crop of St. Croix Tea lovers. 

In the beginning, she started brewing in small pots in her apartment, offering tea to friends and restaurants from the east side to the west. What started out as an act of love and gratitude to a lovely island elder, slowly grew into a calling. 

“We remain a very small, hands-on team. We brew the old-school way, in small pots on a stovetop. With the help of Annabelle’s partner Elton, every bottle is hand-filled and  hand-labelled with care. Many of the herbs we use come from our own garden and the trees on our St. Croix land, lemongrass, bay leaves, moringas.”

Their Caribbean tea company is rooted right on the Big Island, where the team is deeply passionate about honoring the traditions of Caribbean Bush Tea with all the kindness, humility and deep respect the product deserves. 

“Tea Mama is our love letter to St. Croix,” says Ms. Facenda. “Our goal is to continue creating new teas, wellness blends, and nourishing products using the ingredients grown here, offering healthy, wholesome options made from plants that have supported this community for generations.”