Lake Hartwell Country has no shortage of family-owned businesses, ranging from breweries to boutiques. One unique, local business you may not have heard about is Table Rock Tea Company, Pickens’ very own tea farm! While we Southerners are known for enjoying our sweet tea, we’re less known for growing the product. Steve and Jennifer Lorch have been working for decades to change that perception, producing quality American-made tea with an LHC twist.
To reach the farm, you must first follow the stunning Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, an adventure in and of itself. Named for the ancestral homeland of the Cherokee Nation, this route traverses the Southern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s well worth taking some time to explore and enjoy the surrounding nature on your way back from the tea company.
Once you arrive at Table Rock Tea Company, there is no shortage of things to do. Open to the public every weekend, guided tours operate daily to take guests through the facilities and teach them about the tea-growing process. These hour-long, free tours offer curious guests a behind-the-scenes look at how the Lorches cultivate, harvest, process, and package their assortment of tea products. Keep in mind that the tours fill up fast, so plan ahead and book a tour in advance!
You’ll also be able to purchase some of their home-grown tea products to try out for yourself. With locally focused names like “Walhalla Masala Chai” and “Travelers Rest Bedtime Tea,” it’s clear that the company has become deeply embedded here in upstate South Carolina. Though our mountains, climate, and soil are a key part of what allowed the tea farm to take root, the people within Lake Hartwell Country have helped it grow!
In turn, the Lorches use their tea farm to give back to others. Along with Table Rock Tea Company, Steve and Jennifer founded Hydromissions International, which helps bring clean drinking water to people in need worldwide. In addition, 10% of all sales at Table Rock Tea Company goes to charity, thanks to their ConnectiviTea Fund. This fund helps entrepreneurs in underserved areas start up their own small-scale tea businesses, helping economic development and individual empowerment. With every sip of their tea, you’re helping do good in the world – and nothing tastes sweeter than that.
Our team here at Lake Hartwell Country cannot wait to visit Table Rock Tea Company this spring and bring some delicious American-grown tea back to our office. We’ll see you there!
Visit Table Rock Tea Company
Open March-December
118 High Hills Lane, Pickens, SC 29671, US
Thursdays-Saturdays 9am-5pm; Sundays 1pm-5pm
Tours run at 10am (Thursdays-Saturdays) and 2pm (Thursdays-Sundays)
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