Dedicated to what’s real
After years in the tea business, David Segal knew some of the best tea farmers in the world. This is what happened when he asked them for their best.
2008
Co-founder
In 2008, David co-founded DAVIDsTEA. It grew from one small shop on Queen Street West in Toronto into Canada’s biggest tea chain.
He stepped away in 2016, but he never stopped drinking tea, or blending it. He went back to the farmers he trusted most, asked for their best, and kept a private collection for himself, his family and his friends.
“I personally collect tea like some people collect wine.”
David
A new friend
Co-founder
After he stepped away, David met Harley Finkelstein, the President of Shopify, one of Canada’s most valuable companies.
Harley was a heavy coffee drinker, and his afternoon cup was keeping him up at night. So David put together a few of his favorite green teas for him, and suggested he drink tea every day.
“I converted from a heavy coffee drinker to a daily tea drinker.”
Harley
The idea
When Harley went to stock up on his own, he couldn’t find anything like David’s collection on the shelf.
1The collection
Years in the tea business gave David connections around the world, and access to high quality teas that are hard to find. He also has a knack for blending. His private collection was too good to keep to a few friends, so Firebelly became a way to share great tea with people again, especially people who want the best.
2Real ingredients
Most of the tea Harley found was made with flavorings, natural or artificial. Flavorings add a big flavor on the first sip, then fade, a bit like watermelon gum. To get that big flavor with a great aftertaste and no flavorings, you need the highest quality ingredients. That’s what the Firebelly collection uses.
“If it isn’t grown in nature, we simply don’t use it.”
David Segal, co-founder
November 2021
The two of them spent a year testing teas, designing the accessories and the packaging, and building the brand.
In November 2021, they launched Firebelly on Shopify, made the way David drinks his own tea: real ingredients, nothing added.
Today
Firebelly is now in grocery and health food stores across Canada and the US. Every whole leaf tea is certified organic, and the entire pouch can go in your home compost.
