Rob McCaleb and Lydia Kung evaluate teas during the Global Tea Championship, September 2017. (Photo by Elizabeth Dobos)
The Global Tea Championship’s Fall Hot (Loose Leaf) Tea Competition will take place Feb. 23–24, 2019 in Boulder, Colorado. These three tea experts will be evaluating and judging each of the teas.
Lydia Kung
Lydia Kung owns VeriLeaf Fine Teas and enjoys being a tea advocate. As a tea importer, she samples teas on a daily basis. She has a passion for tea’s traditions and surprises. Tea can still astonish and reveal new characteristics and this is what makes tea special to Lydia. She enjoys tasting new teas and sharing her feedback. Read more here.
Rob McCaleb
Rob McCaleb is educated in cellular biology and botany and has applied his extensive knowledge as an ethnobotanist to the tea industry in the areas of product development and marketing. He founded and presides over the Herb Research Foundation and of Natural Healthcare Inc., and wrote The Encyclopedia of Popular Herbs. Read more here.
Gilbert Kendzior
Gilbert Kendzior’s tea career has spanned four continents began in 1980 in Lipton’s United Kingdom office. He has also worked in Sri Lanka, Malawi, Kenya and Canada. In 1993 in landed in the United States and initially focused on blending and quality control. In 2011 he formed All Points Tea Consulting LLC through which he advises the tea industry. Read more here.