Fifteen varieties of tea; GettyImages.com
Three new World Tea Academy classes help students along their tea journey to becoming a Certified Tea Blender. Launching this summer as part of the Tea Blending Certification track, the new advanced-level courses are among a total of seven classes that are required to obtain the new certificate.
The curriculum encompasses how to conceptualize, create and introduce new tea blends, as well as how to flavor and scent teas and other botanicals. Industry experts wrote each class.
World Tea Academy Online Education Director Donna Fellman said, “All the classes in World Tea Academy’s new Tea Blender Certification track provide participants with the technical skills and deep understanding of the art and science of every aspect of creating blends and enhanced tea products as well as road maps for navigating the U.S. regulatory requirements that apply to these practices.”
Blending skills are valuable and applicable to the current specialty tea market because much of the industry growth correlates with the blending of new flavors, scents and decorative botanicals, all of which maintain a new standard, said instructor Brian Keating. Staying abreast of this standard will help to advance any tea purveyor.
“The core skills covered within Advanced 13 and 14: The Art of Flavoring, Blending and Scenting Parts 1 and 2 have universal appeal to almost everyone in the tea trade who engages in the creation of enhanced teas—from tea shop owners and branded companies to wholesalers, importers and even tea growers,” Keating said. “The course materials provide a detailed guide from ideation and concept testing to classic and newer techniques for tea blend creation.”
In another one of the new courses, ADV.12 Formulating Delicious Blends, students will learn how to create harmonious blends from Camellia sinensis and tisane bases.
“Students of this and other WTA Advanced certification tracks are extremely fortunate to have access to these materials, compiled by tea professionals from their decades of research and industry experiences,” said Fellman.
Here are the Certified Tea Blender course requirements:
ADV.02:Understanding the Organoleptic Experience by Virginia Utermohlen, Taste Scientist
ADV.07:Quality Systems for Product Management by Tony Tellin of Steven Smith Teamaker
ADV.09*: Advanced Botanicals by Rob McCaleb of Natural Healthcare Inc.
ADV.11: Blending, Flavoring, Scenting by Scott Svihula of Hula Consulting
ADV.12*: Formulating Delicious Blends by Virginia Utermohlen, Taste Scientist
ADV.13*: Art of Flavoring, Blending, Scenting Part 1 by Brian Keating of Sage Group LLC
ADV.14*: Art of Flavoring, Blending, Scenting Part 2 by Brian Keating of Sage Group LLC
*Each of these classes has a prerequisite:
ADV.09: CORE.06 is a prerequisite.
ADV.12: ADV.02 is a prerequisite.
ADV.13: ADV.11 is a prerequisite.
ADV.14: ADV.13 is a prerequisite.
