The People Who Built Starwest With Us

Merchant Stories, Chapter One

It started with a conversation. A casual one, in the middle of the workday. We were talking about our 50th year, what it means, what it took, and someone brought up a name. Then another. And another. And soon the conversation wasn’t about us anymore. It was about them.

The founders who placed their first orders with us when their companies were just a seed of an idea.

The tea makers and herbalists who still source their most important blends from us.

The product developers who’ve come to rely on our consistency, because it lets them stay focused on innovation.

So we decided to ask them three questions:

What does Starwest mean to you?

What’s your favorite product?

How has our partnership contributed to your growth?

And what we got back was more than just answers. It was trust, memory, real partnership.

Zhena, founder of Club Magic Hour, told us she’s been sourcing herbs and teas from Starwest for nearly 20 years, through multiple brands and stages of growth. From her early days at Zhena’s Gypsy Tea (where we even helped source tea bagging machines) to her thriving brand today, she’s leaned on us for more than just product. She spoke about our people: connecting with Jagatjoti, seeing Khalsa, collaborating with Brian, and trusting Kai, who she calls “one of the best sourcing partners in the world.” And it’s not just about large orders. She sources over three dozen herbs from us regularly, sometimes by the pound, sometimes by the hundred, and said the experience is always seamless, always fresh.

                 

The team at Full Leaf Tea Company brought us back to 2014, when their orders started at just one pound. As their customer base grew, so did their sourcing needs, and we’ve been there through it all. What stood out most in their answers wasn’t just the mention of specific botanicals, but the acknowledgment of the humans behind the business. The sales team. Fulfillment. Accounting. And especially their rep, Naz, who’s supported them through everything from pandemic challenges to sourcing specialty ingredients. Their words stuck with us: “Starwest is the foundation of every blend we make.”

                     

And then came Yellow Emperor. They’ve been with us since day one. They told us how our unwavering consistency helped them build trust with their own customers, and how our reliability meant they could scale confidently without worrying about sourcing. They talked about the kava they source from us, how the clean flavor, aroma, and consistency are unmatched. But it wasn’t just the product that mattered. It was the people again. Nazario, they said, has been an invaluable part of their journey. And when they said, “What we’ve found in Starwest goes beyond a typical vendor relationship; it’s a true partnership rooted in shared values,” we felt that.

Because we feel it, too.

                         

Fifty years later, this isn’t just a celebration of our history. It’s a celebration of the businesses that grew alongside us. The trust we’ve built. The formulas we’ve helped bring to life. The relationships that go beyond transactions.

We’re proud to be part of their stories, and they’re a big part of ours.

And this is just the first chapter.