A Serendipitous Encounter at the Market
Every once in a while, I go to a market expecting to just browse, but instead, I stumble upon a story that absolutely demands to be written. That’s exactly what happened when I met Ricky Van Warner.
At Bristol Vintage Market Days, the bright green booth of Appalachian DiviniTEA, with eye-catching banners and tea packages, drew me in.
With a sincere smile, the man behind the counter asked if I liked tea. Soon, I realized Ricky was more than a vendor—he’s a tea sommelier, master herbalist, mycologist, and recovering chef, whose warmth matches his expertise.
This is the story of a man who left high-pressure kitchens for Appalachian trails, crafting magic in every cup.
From Stressful Kitchens to Healing Brews
Ricky spent years as a chef. The commercial kitchen, he says, was “sucking the life” out of him. While he loved cooking, the unrelenting pressure pressed hard on him. Moving to tea and herbalism, however, was a return to his roots.
A Grandmother’s Legacy and a Teapot Tattoo
As a child, Ricky’s grandmother introduced him to the ritual of tea. When she passed away, she left him her teapot—a memory he literally wears on his sleeve, having tattooed her teapot on the back of his hand. When he pours tea for people, the tattoo looks like it is pouring the tea.
That childhood spark fired a deeper passion. Ricky spent years working-trading (a collaborative exchange in which individuals offer their time, labor, and skills in exchange for accommodation, meals, or other benefits rather than monetary payment) on farms and homesteads, immersing himself in mycology and herbalism.
A Global Education in Camellia Sinensis
Then, in 2019, he and his wife, Nikki, backpacked across Asia for four months. They visited traditional tea houses and ancient fields, delving deeply into the caffeinated world of Camellia sinensis. When they returned to the Appalachian region, they knew they wanted to bring that knowledge back.
From Home Apothecary to Full-Time Calling
For twelve years, tea blending was Ricky’s obsessive hobby. It completely overtook their house, transforming it into a makeshift apothecary. Finally, four years ago, Nikki pushed him to take it to the farmers’ markets. Today, what started as a hobby is a full-fledged, full-time business.
Following a recent layoff during Hurricane Helene, Nikki has officially joined the business full-time as the managing partner, seamlessly handling their digital identity while Ricky focuses on formulating the blends.
Foraging for Wellness and Cognitive Health
What makes Appalachian DiviniTEA so fascinating is Ricky’s profound understanding of his ingredients. He doesn’t just order bulk herbs online; he builds relationships with the land and the people who steward it.
The company specializes in small-batch, handcrafted organic tea blends, with a focus on wild-foraged mushrooms. Ricky partners with a 25-year veteran forager for most fungi, but often hikes Mount Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Parkway to forage Lion’s Mane himself.
During our chat, a customer asked about memory support. Ricky instantly recommended his Lion’s Mane blend, with Ginkgo, Gotu Kola, peppermint, and orange peel.
The Delicate Balance of Harvesting Wild Fungi
Ricky knows the regional ecosystems well. He easily finds medicinal mushrooms like Reishi and Turkey Tail and respects nature’s balance.
“Chaga is a little tougher,” Ricky explained to me, noting its scarcity. “It only grows at about 3,000 feet and only on birch trees. It’s kind of over-harvested in this area, so I try not to take too much. A piece this big will take 50 years to grow. If everyone takes all the Chaga, it won’t keep coming back.”
Community, Sustainability, and “Creating Magic”
Everything Ricky does is intentional. He cares as much about the planet’s health as about his customers’.
- Compostable Packaging: Ricky packages loose-leaf teas in transparent, 100% compostable bags. These clear-front bags let customers see the quality and mixture of herbs inside. All logos and labels are self-designed by Ricky and feature roots, stressing their strong connection to nature.
- Locally Sourced Hemp: He sources CBD hemp from his friend Dana at Other Side Hemp in Leicester, NC—a fully organic, sustainable farm. He blends this organically grown CBD hemp with Tulsi, rosemary, and lavender to create a calming herbal tea.
- Beyond the Leaf: Beyond traditional teas, Ricky crafts medicinal tinctures, cacao-based mushroom coffee alternatives, and canned honey-infused iced teas.
A Culinary Approach to Holistic Healing
Listening to Ricky, you realize that a master tea blender is a highly specialized chef who applies culinary knowledge of flavor profiles and proportions to natural medicines. Whether making a custom blend for a customer in need or handing out a cold sample of Lion’s Mane iced tea (complex, sweet, and unbelievably refreshing), Ricky pours his heart into his work.
If you’re in Western North Carolina, you can find Appalachian DiviniTEA at North Asheville, Asheville City, or Weaverville Tailgate Markets. Otherwise, explore their apothecary online. Ricky Van Warner set out to heal himself and found a way to help others do the same.
