Hayley Stevens

From Her Cup, Joy Spills Over

For more than a decade, Hayley Stevens has been brewing special moments on Broadway. 

Hayley Stevens’ radiant smile exudes warmth in our little corner of the world. 

Inside Saratoga Tea & Honey Company, the downtown Saratoga Springs shop Hayley founded more than a decade ago, the walls are lined with artisanal tea blends, each with its own sniffer jar, for a premium sensory experience. 

Tea has long been desired for its exceptional flavor and appealing fragrance. The relationship women have had with this special beverage is one steeped in tradition. Around the world, women are heavily involved in the production and consumption of tea. 

“It is such an honor to be part of the rich tradition of women in tea,” said Hayley. “I really felt this when, in 2019, I visited Thái Nguyên, Vietnam, where I met the cooperative producing our Tan Huong green tea.”

“The co-op is led by women, and 80% of the contributing gardens are boutique home gardens run by women. Tea production (and sales to the North American markets) have brought positive changes to this area and increased their quality of life. The women I met welcomed me so warmly, and treated me to an unforgettable tea ceremony. 

We all cried and hugged before parting ways. Visiting the places where our teas originate really amplifies the impact purchasing a single bag of tea can have across the globe,” she said. 

Inspiring “Brew-tiful” Women 

At home, Hayley is continually inspired by the group of women on Saratoga Tea & Honey’s management team, she said. “They brew up THE BEST cups of teas – and ideas! They are full of energy, creative, and attentive to our guests. They have ‘a passion for teas and bees,’ and their contributions make the Saratoga Tea & Honey Company a destination. Emma, Jeanne, Jill, Maribeth, Rachel, Karen, Maria, Kate, and Melanie inspire me every day. I am blessed to work with them.”

The company is truly a positive collaboration where each person is encouraged to play to their strengths, allowing for the flexibility that also enables Hayley, a mother of two, to balance her work life with the constant demands that come with raising young children. 

Although tea is the world’s second most popular beverage (after water) and is revered as a personal ritual and a cultural tradition in countries all over the globe, in America, marketers have tried to assert that tea is a feminine drink. A notion that Hayley quickly dispels. 

“Tea practice is very vibrant and relevant all over the United States, as in the rest of the world,” said Hayley. “At the Saratoga Tea & Honey Company, our customers are especially grateful to find whole leaf tea and herbal tisanes (as they enjoy them for their health benefits and ease of steeping). We have an equal number of male and female customers who enjoy tea every day.”

Blending Soulful Connections 

“Tea is a very personal ritual, and I know many Americans very open to adapting it to their lifestyle in lots of different ways,” said Hayley. The tea industry has experienced a period of growth in this country, and brews like matcha get people curious, said Hayley. 

After attending culinary school at ALMA Scuola Internazionale della Cucina Italiana, Hayley was employed there for a short time.  While in her early twenties, she worked in Michelin star restaurants from Sicily to Venice. When she returned to the US, she accepted a position as a Chef Instructor in the Italian Academy at the French Culinary Institute in New York City.  There, she discovered tea at a pop-up tea shop near the school, and began to immerse herself in tea culture, while also using tea as a culinary ingredient.

Experiencing food and culture around the world is what Hayley lives for, she said, and, in addition to their teas, many of the varietal honeys filling Saratoga Tea & Honey Company’s hive at the back of the store are sourced from across the country, as well as around the world, from countries including Spain, France, Portugal, and Italy. 

Through the years, the Saratoga Tea & Honey Company has also collaborated with many New York State producers, including the beekeepers who provide honey for the shop’s own infusions. “In my experience, these are people that are practicing a connection to the land and highlighting the contribution of bees, just one of many pollinators we need to be protecting,” said Hayley. 

Tending to Tea-rrific Communities 

In addition to creating a supportive environment for their team members, Saratoga Tea & Honey is a business that gives back to the community by donating to charitable organizations each month, including local school groups and the Christopher Dailey Foundation. 

Through a unique partnership with the Wilton Wildlife Preserve, Saratoga Tea & Honey donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their tea, Karner Blue Lavender, and the drink, Karner Blue Lemonade, to help protect one of the last remaining habitats of the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly in our area. 

When Hayley is able to capture a few spare moments between sips of tea, she enjoys growing vegetables and herbs in her backyard garden (including lemon balm for tea, of course!), and cooking fresh Mediterranean foods for her family and friends. One of her specialties? Tender pasta made with freshy ground einkorn flour that delights with every bite.