TEAS FROM NEW ORIGINS, WITH JANE PETTIGREW

25 Lavington Street, London, SE1 0NZ

£18 per ticket (Incl. VAT)

This event was due to run on Tuesday 17th March 2020 - it has been postponed until a later date. All tickets purchased for this event will be valid for the rescheduled event

Jane Pettigrew has gathered together some teas made in unusual places around the world grown and processed by new producers

Join her for an evening of tasting some exciting and VERY NEW teas!

We will taste the following 11 teas:

• 5 teas (white, oolong and black) from 3 different growers (Mike Riley, John Cross and Eva Lee) on The Big Island, Hawaii
• 1 green tea from Jersey grown by The Jersey Tea Company
• 2 teas (green and black) grown in Holland
• 2 teas (white and black) from Kumaon in Northern India, grown and processed by Young Mountain Tea
• 1 black tea from Myanmar, grown and processed in Mogok Village

And during the evening, we are going to try and hook up live with Eva Lee in Hawaii and with Raj Vable, founder of Young Mountain Tea. If everything goes according to plan, you’ll be able to ask them questions about their tea growing activities.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to taste some of the newest teas from exciting new growers around the globe!

Tickets sell fast and are strictly limited, so book now to secure your place in our new studio.

EVENT POSTPONED

KOREAN TEA EVENING WITH SUJIN LEE

25 Lavington Street, London, SE1 0NZ

Tickets £18 each (Incl. VAT)

This event was due to run on Tuesday 7th April 2020 - it has been postponed until a later date. All tickets purchased for this event will be valid for the rescheduled event.

Join UK Tea Academy and Sujin Lee (Tea Repertoire and UKTA’s tutor for our Korean Tea Masterclass) for this exciting opportunity to learn about and taste Korean teas.

Come and learn about different Korean tea types, their production methods and a brief history of tea production in different Korean tea regions. Due to the complex national history, South Korea now produces pan-fired as well as steamed green tea and a limited amount of artisan black tea and fermented tea.

For this tasting event, Sujin has selected 6 different Korean teas - 3 green teas, 1 semi-oxidised black tea and 2 fermented teas from different regions.

We will taste the following teas:

• Woojeon (First Flush Green Tea)
• Sejak (Second Flush Green Tea)
• Joongjak (Third Flush Green Tea)
• Balhyocha
• Tteokcha
• Hubalyhyocha

EVENT POSTPONED

DARJEELING TEA TASTING, WITH KEVIN GASCOYNE

25 Lavington Street, London, SE1 0NZ

£22 per ticket (Incl. VAT)

This event was due to run on Friday 17th April 2020 - it has been postponed until a later date. All tickets purchased for this event will be valid for the rescheduled event.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

The UK Tea Academy is delighted to present an evening of tea tasting with Kevin Gascoyne of renowned tea company Camellia Sinensis Montreal

Darjeeling Tea: the Nectar of the Himalayas. An event for tea enthusiasts of all levels.

Tea Taster Kevin Gascoyne takes us on an exotic journey through the tea gardens of the Himalayas. For over 25 years Kevin has spent every Spring in the region for buying, research and consulting. Travel to the mountains through his anecdotes and images as he describes and explains the inner workings of this high altitude tea industry and leads us through a tasting of some of this year’s finest batches.

Kevin will be fresh off the plane from India where he and his partners own a micro-unit tea factory called the Tea Studio. He will also be presenting highlights from this selection for us to taste.

About Kevin: British tea taster Kevin Gascoyne first bought tea in Asia in 1989 and has spent every Spring there as a buyer for 25 years. Living in Montréal, he is one of 4 taster/owners of Camellia Sinensis, whose catalogue at camellia-sinensis.com has gained World renown. He lectures all over the planet and runs 2 tea schools, a wide selection of workshops, conferences, field consulting, trade development and seminars. For the last few years he has been co-host of the World Tea Awards. His writing has been published in English, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Swedish, Russian and French in N.America, Europe and Asia he is also co-author of the prize-winning book TEA, History, Terroir, Varieties which was voted World's Best Tea Book 2014 by the World Tea Awards and is now available in 5 languages.

Aside from his obsessive quest for Darjeeling’s finest leaf, he also has a passion for shop keeping in his stores. According to his colleagues his daily tea consumption compares to the flow of some small rivers.

EVENT POSTPONED

A NEW NEPALI TEA GARDEN

By Jane Pettigrew

As some of you will know, UKTA sent out a special newsletter on Thursday 21st May to celebrate the first International Tea designated by The United Nations. Amongst the wonderful quotes and photos contributed by our tutors, students, support staff and friends, I included a photo of myself with Andrew Gardner, Nepalese tea grower and maker, drinking some of the tea he had made and brought to London last year to share with me.

Last week, an email from Andrew appeared in my inbox thanking me for mentioning him in the newsletter and sending me his latest news. Andrew is very well known among tea growers and makers and has worked with Susie Walker-Munro and other growers in Scotland, with Lucy George at her tea farm in Wales (the green tea they made together last year was absolutely delicious), and over the years he has worked with a number of estates and factories in India and Nepal, including Guranse and Jun Chiyabari.

For the moment, he’s stuck in India because of Covid-19 but is longing to get back to Nepal where he has a new project. He’s working at a tea estate called Siddha Devi Tea Estate, (named after a Goddess worshipped by the indigenous tribe living there) which lies at an altitude of 6,800 feet in a very remote area on the border between Ilam and Panchtar hill regions in eastern Nepal. It was set up by Nripesh Koirala, a young entrepreneur from Kathmandu who had fallen in love with the place and wanted to help local farmers (who had planted tea about 10 years ago but then abandoned their plants) and provide a factory where their teas could be processed. So he contacted Andrew and now they are planting all the way up to 7,600 feet, the highest Andrew has ever grown tea!

“My team and I are helping the farmers rejuvenate their plantations with the promise that we will buy their green leaf. I’m building a factory which would have been ready had this lockdown not taken place, but on the brighter side, everything happens for the best - the earth is healing and the world has realized the importance of agriculture and the farmers,” wrote Andrew in his email. “Siddha Devi Tea, although proving to be more challenging than I expected, due to the high altitude and being so remote, will definitely produce some of the best teas in the Himalayan region.”

I wrote back to ask him what sort of teas he aims to make there and he told me “I plan, like in my previous gardens, to make speciality teas. White, Oolongs, Gold, Hand Rolled and Green teas. I believe in creating new styles of these teas. I have always loved to try out new recipes. I never follow a fixed pattern of timings for rolling, oxidation and drying. I use my nose for deciding whether the tea has reached its peak during oxidation or not. I love making well oxidized, well fired teas. My favorites are the Hand Rolled teas, they are so complex in character. Each batch of hand rolled tea differs and you get to taste a new experience each time. Look how versatile tea is. It can be moulded into different shapes and sizes. You can make it take on different colours. You can make it taste harsh or sweet or mellow or bitter. Imagine! There is no end to what you can do with tea. It's amazing.”

If the teas Andrew makes at the new factory are anything like as good as the teas he makes at Everest Tea Estate, another previously abandoned garden close to Kathmandu that he worked on for four years to bring back into shape, I shall be among the first to buy some - and when we eventually get back into our classroom, I’ll arrange an Academy Extra event at which we can taste samples of Andrew’s Siddha Devi teas.

Image captions, clockwise from left:

1. Andrew working with the farmers to prune back the bushes.

2. The tea nursery at Siddha Devi.

3. Pruning abandoned tea bushes.

4. The view at Siddha Devi.

TAKING A BREAK CAN BOOST YOUR MENTAL WELLBEING

• Almost two-thirds of tea drinkers agree that taking time to have a cup of tea helps them feel more relaxed
• Nearly half agree that a tea break helps them calm down and reduces stress levels

There is no question that as a nation, Britain is full of tea lovers. In fact, it’s estimated that Brits consume over 100 million cups of tea daily.

At a current time of uncertainty, new independent research by BRITA Professional* has revealed the potential wellbeing benefits a tea ‘break’ can bring, now especially relevant with so many of us working from home.

The research, which was conducted amongst 1,000 tea drinkers, found that two-thirds (64%) believe taking time to have a cup of tea has a positive effect on their mental health, admitting it helps them to feel relaxed. Almost half (41%) agree that it helps them calm down and reduce stress levels.

As well as being beneficial to consumers’ mental health, research also found that a tea break can increase our productivity with nearly half (41%) agreeing that they are able to concentrate more on their work after a cup of tea and over a third (38%) are able to perform better or to a higher level.

Commenting on the research, UK Tea Academy Director of Studies Jane Pettigrew said:

“As we all continue to settle into the ‘new normal’ and spend more time at home, it’s more important than ever to look after our mental wellbeing. The research by BRITA Professional really shows that there’s nothing quite like a reassuring cup of tea. I would encourage all of those who are busy in their households to take regular breaks throughout the day and where possible, connect with others over a relaxing hot drink.”

Although tea is clearly a popular drink choice, 46% of consumers do not believe the quality of tea is better in cafés than at home. In fact, tea comprises just 4.4% of the average coffee shop sales mix. So, what can businesses do to encourage consumers to drink tea out of home?

Whilst the hospitality industry is currently facing a challenging time due to the current climate and repercussions of COVID 19, BRITA Professional’s new research has also provided a number of insights on how, once back up and running, businesses can encourage tea drinkers to take their tea break in their establishments and improve their revenue.

• Choice: While English Breakfast Tea is often seen as the most popular choice of tea at many cafés, coffee shops and hotels, over half of consumers (51%) would be more likely to choose another type of tea out of home
• Quality: Almost half (46%) of tea drinkers don’t believe the quality of tea is better in cafés than it is at home. In fact, tea operators believe the reasons for missed opportunities in the sector are the quality of tea used (64%) and the lack of training on how to make a good cuppa (40%)
• Ambience: Of those that do enjoy a cup of tea out of home, almost half (41%) said the ambience of the location was one of the biggest drivers. Tea drinkers provide other opportunities too as 60% of consumers typically make additional food purchases alongside their tea.

Speaking about the research results, which are available in a new toolkit from BRITA Professional – Life is Better Filtered: Business Vitali-Tea, Sarah Taylor, Managing Director of BRITA UK, said: 


“From conducting research into the benefits of a tea break, it’s clear that the majority of tea drinkers not only enjoy the taste but also the opportunity it provides to take a break from the stresses of work and everyday life.

“Whilst the hospitality industry as a whole is going through a very difficult time, this toolkit also provides invaluable insights that could help businesses take this time to strengthen their offering and come out of this situation stronger on the other side.

“By educating Brits in why having tea in a café, coffee shop or other business environment could be beneficial to their wellbeing, or why the quality of tea may be better out of home, the hot beverage industry has the potential to flourish in a whole new sector”

In addition to the research findings, the new toolkit Life is Better Filtered: Business Vitali-Tea also features expert insights into the health benefits of a tea break, the added benefits of enjoying a tea break outside of the house and also top tips for hot beverage businesses looking to expand their offering and entice more custom when they are able to reopen.

BRITA Professional will also be posting top tips across their social channels over the next few weeks on how to make the most of your tea break whilst working from home.

To download a copy of the Life is Better Filtered: Business Vitali-Tea toolkit, please CLICK HERE

UPDATE REGARDING COVID-19

Dear tea lovers. This is a challenging time for everyone, we hope that you are all staying safe and well.

We have taken the difficult decision to close our classroom, and not to run our March and April Tea Champion courses due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, to help keep us all safe from the risk of infection. Bookings are of course fully transferable to any future course, once the situation settles down.

However - we will launch our new ONLINE Tea Foundation course by the end of March, so that you can learn about tea remotely.
Email us at info@ukteaacademy.com if you are interested in being kept updated about this.

In addition, All Academy Extra evening events in March and April have been postponed:

• Teas from Different Origins, with Jane Pettigrew (17th March)
• Chinese White Tea Tasting, with Juyan Webster (31st March)
• Korean Tea Evening, with Sujin Lee (7th April)
• Darjeeling Tea Tasting, with Kevin Gascoyne (17th April)

Anyone who has bought a ticket for these events can either be refunded or keep their ticket for when the event is rescheduled.

STAY SAFE AND DRINK TEA

Tea is good for your mind, body and soul, so keep drinking it!

Here are some Tea Things you can do during this down time:

• Make your tea drinking at home into a daily ritual to keep you calm and happy, whether that is mindfully preparing Matcha or just taking time out of your day to prepare and drink your favourite tea
• Online Tea Time: arrange to call / video chat a friend whilst you both drink tea - this might be especially important for an elderly relative
• Have another cup of tea every day: our Tea, Science and Health tutor Dr Tim Bond says the best thing you can do for your long term health is drink 1 more cup of tea a day
• Buy tea online from small retailers who need your support in this challenging time for the hospitality industry
• Spend time developing your tasting palate and your tea brewing skills by tasting different teas and making notes on their taste, aroma, mouthfeel, brewing parameters etc.
• Catch up on your tea reading (perhaps join the @teabookclub which meets online to discuss tea books)