KeHE Picks Tama Tea as Golden Ticket Winner, Betting Big on Unsweetened Beverages as Natural Retail's Next Growth Category

Unsweetened Tea Brand Selected for Rapid Expansion; Debuts at KeHE Buying Show in Chicago, June 10-11, 2026

Tama Tea has been selected as a Golden Ticket winner by KeHE Distributors, one of North America's largest natural and organic food distributors. The honor recognizes Tama Tea as one of the most promising emerging beverage brands and grants immediate access to KeHE's network of 30,000+ retail locations across North America. Tama Tea will make its official debut at the KeHE Buying Show on June 10-11, 2026, in Chicago at McCormick Place.

The Golden Ticket award is highly competitive. Selected from more than hundreds of applicant brands and evaluated by KeHE category managers on innovation, ingredient integrity, taste, scalability, packaging, purpose, and passion.

"Winning the Golden Ticket validates everything we've built," said Kelly Struble, CEO and founder of Tama Tea. "KeHE's buyers saw what we saw: a real market gap for unsweetened, clean-label beverages. This isn't just distribution; it's a partnership with a leading curator of natural food innovation. The June show in Chicago is a moment to prove we're ready to scale and plan for rapid growth."

Why Tama Tea Stands Out

Tama Tea's positioning directly addresses what health-conscious retailers and consumers want: transparency and integrity. The brand features just five ingredients or less (yerba mate or green tea, plus complementary fruit and botanicals), zero added sugar, and no artificial sweeteners. This clean-label approach has proven to resonate with customers by generating exceptional repeat buyer performance.

Market Opportunity

The unsweetened energy drink category is experiencing significant growth as consumers move away from mainstream sugary beverages. KeHE's retail network positions Tama Tea to capitalize on this shift across independent natural food stores, co-ops, and specialty retailers; the exact channels where health-conscious consumers shop.

"This is a major validation moment. KeHE doesn't select Golden Ticket winners lightly, and being chosen from hundreds of competitors means our approach passed the highest standard for natural foods retail. We've been ahead of this trend for years, and we're excited to show retailers why "Not Sweet, Not Sorry" is the future."

About Tama Tea

Tama Tea is a health-conscious beverage brand specializing in unsweetened yerba mate and green tea blends. Founded on the principle that great taste doesn't require added sweeteners, Tama Tea is available at select Whole Foods Markets, Walmart.com, Amazon, and online at tamatea.com.

Media Contact: Kelly Struble, CEO, Tama Tea

KeHE Buying Show Details: June 10-11, 2026, McCormick Place, Lakeside Halls