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In Honor of International Tea Day 2022 (May 21), Here Are Some of the Best Remarks from Tea Leaders

By Aaron Kiel May 21, 2022 11:51am

Today (May 21) is International Tea Day, which is considered a day “to direct greater efforts towards expanding demand and consumption,” according to the United Nations. It’s also a day to promote and foster collective actions to implement activities in favor of sustainable production.

In honor of International Tea Day, World Tea News looked back on the last year of news and features and gathered some of our favorite comments and insights from tea industry leaders, business owners and experts.

Here are 19 recent remarks about tea (from 2021/2022) that we love:

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1. Peter F. Goggi, president of the Tea Association of the U.S.A, Inc., Tea Council of the USA and the Specialty Tea Institute

“Specialty tea continues its rise in both pounds and dollars, bolstered by continued growth with in-home delivery and in-home consumption of tea. While Millennials and Gen Zs led the way, consumers across all demographics continued to consume tea for its variety of origins, types and flavors. Tea generates interest in terroirs, flavors, origins, bush to brand and sustainability – particularly in these high quality, higher priced teas. Artisanal teas remain of high interest and continue to grow at a fast clip. Consumers are becoming more engaged with their teas and want to learn more and more about where their teas come from; how they are harvested and manufactured; how the product supports the livelihoods of those making it; and, how friendly the product is to the environment. Specialty tea buyers, in particular, seek to engage with their products of choice. They want to know that the dollars they spend are going to support the grower, tea workers and the “brand” as a reward for a job well done in manufacturing quality products.”

2. Art Lopez, marketing director for tea at Finlays Americas and a presenter at the recent 2022 World Tea Conference + Expo

“The biggest issue I see in tea right now is the lack of economic sustainability. Simply put, tea is not being sold for the value that it provides. It’s disheartening to think about the amount of time, effort and resources that are poured in to cultivating tea. It includes more than tending to the crop. It includes the livelihoods of those who are in the tea trade – the tea pluckers, the factory workers, the tasters, the logistics teams. Pricing needs to increase to support these aspects of making tea. If it does not, the industry will consolidate, supply will consolidate, and then prices will go up.”

3. Shabnam Weber, president of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada, the leading authority and industry voice on all things tea in Canada

“More than ever, consumers are seriously looking at how companies are impacting the world and the environment, and they’re demanding answers from the companies they purchase from. For tea and botanical businesses, they need to understand and communicate how sustainably sourced their products are. Is your business building relationships with suppliers to ensure that everyone benefits from the relationship? Or are you price-focused and continue the ‘race to the bottom’? Building relationships means understanding the needs of the supply chain and developing collaboration. Sustainability is a constantly moving goal post, which means the work can never be complete. It is also an issue that falls on the shoulders of every single citizen of the globe, not just large companies and producers. Consumers will no longer accept the green washing they may have encountered in the past. If you say your company is transparent, consumers will demand you prove it. If you say your product is sustainably sourced, they will demand you substantiate it. If you say you “give back,” they will demand to see it.”

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4. Kevin Gascoyne, founder and one of the creators of Tea Studio in India, owner of Camellia Sinensis Tea Houses and Tea Schools of Montréal and Québec City

“As a tea merchant, so much of my time is spent recounting the in-depth back stories of the teas I sell. Over several decades of working as a taster, I began to have the feeling that when we taste tea, we tend to intellectualize it too much. We can get really busy rating these teas, repeating the backstory, evaluating the cultivar, searching out trademark flavor chemistry in the profile or simply discussing how expensive it was and how difficult it was to produce. But shouldn’t the really exciting part be the sensorial experience? These leaves represent moments of near perfection, combining the sequence of growth in the garden and choices made by the garden management and artisans to bring about this magical experience.”

5. Jon Cooper, co-owner of PekoeTea in Edinburgh, Scotland

“The specialty tea industry is very crowded with a finite number of sources for high-end single-estate teas. Many tea companies are ending up selling the same product with the only real differentiation being price and branding. There is also a general decline in consumption of tea as whole in the U.K. Therefore, the creation of interesting blends is very important. You can stand out by making signature products. We have found our custom blend – such as our whisky teas – are outselling all our single estate teas by a significant margin.”

6. Jessie Dean, founder of Asheville Tea Company in Asheville, N.C.

“What I love most about tea is that it is such an opportunity to learn. Tea leaves – Camellia sinensis leaves – alone have so many varying flavor profiles, growing regions and production methods. It is a lot like getting into wine, being able to taste different types of tea and understand how their flavor profiles relate to their growing region and production method. I feel like herbs and herbal tea can be the same, in that herbs grown in various regions of the world offer their own sense of place or terroir. This feels like an almost endless variation of ways to enjoy and learn about tea and herbs, and I love diving into that.”

7. Lisa Boalt Richardson, director of Questex’s World Tea Academy, a tea expert and author of Modern Tea: A Fresh Look at an Ancient Beverage

“Tea education is truly the key to the growth of the tea industry and your tea business. It is critical that the next generation of tea professionals are educated so that they can be prepared to be a part of the future of the industry.”

8. Nikita Mittal of Mittal Teas in India is a third-generation tea taster, responsible for growth and marketing at her company

“Of course, first and foremost, we always strive for good quality teas, and we always look to our knowledge around teas to led us to success. However, we would not have found success without asking, ‘What’s our purpose?’ This has always led us to innovative ideas, beneficial social initiatives and lots of success.”

9. Sharyn Johnston, CEO of the Australian Tea Masters Association Pty Ltd. in Australia, currently produces and exports more than 12 tons of tea and wellness blends, in addition to offering tea education

“The tea industry needs to share new tea ideas, create new tea concepts, and share different teas and their flavors, so they can be more appreciated in the restaurant and bar industry. We need to open their eyes to the world of tea and demonstrate how tea can become magical when used to support F&B. No longer should the restaurant and bar industry consider tea to be simply consumed hot with milk or with sugar added. Tea can be used in a cocktail, a mocktail, as a base for simple syrups, and as an infusion that can be used in a myriad of ways including to cook with. Tea also needs to take an important place on a menu – not as a small add-on or after thought. We need to change the way tea is signified and we need to work with the hospitality industry to share these ways through education.”

10. Joyce Maina, a global tea expert and consultant and founder and director at Cambridge Tea Consultancy

“We work with a product steeped in history – everyday steeping great taste, wellness and good – but it’s faced with less than adequate growth as we steep snobbery with the tea. As an industry and community, we are kind of stuck with an antiquated image (at least a large chunk of the market is), and we could do better to attract new drinkers and especially the younger generation into tea. I guess a good way to look at it is to ask: Where is snobbery showing itself in the tea industry and what can we do about it? We do know what it is doing – it’s turning people away from tea exploration!”

11. Gagan Gurung, founder of the innovative tea bar Tell Camellia in Hong Kong

“We just need to break the stereotype of tea culture and not stick with one type of mainstream way to do tea. You can drink tea in different ways, and I strongly believe that Hong Kong – and elsewhere outside of Asia – is going to grow more tea lovers and tea bars in the coming years, and I am so happy for everyone. Just share the love and share the tea.”

12. Michelle Brown, co-owner of Teaism in Washington, D.C.; Teaism’s goal is to make exquisite loose-leaf tea accessible to all

“Around the world there are tea stores with dirt floors, or with white linen, with yoga, with samovars, with live music, with board games, with only green tea – in any style you can imagine. And now we have that here in the United States, a great diversity in our expression as tea vendors. The independent tea world has not yet been homogenized. I love that. I love venturing into tea rooms that are created out of our passion for sharing such a lovely product. Each of America’s tea rooms, independently owned, are unique and diverse. I know there are companies that are trying to open nationally, but they always end up struggling to address the passion and complexities around tea. Our relationship to tea is intimate and personal; it is best enjoyed when shared by people who understand that.”

13. Paula Shaw, founder and CEO of Cured Leaves Tea Co., based in Bel Air, Md.

“I love the purity and artistry of tea. I see tea as a teacher and absolutely revel in the lessons learned from every experience. I love that tea offers engaging lessons from the aspect of mindfulness. Tea centers and calms the body and creates connections. I love that tea can be enjoyed alone or with partners offering deep connection to self or promoting deeper sense of community.”

14. Rodrick Markus, founder of Rare Tea Cellar in Chicago

“The future of teas in bars is exciting in this post COVID-19 world – the variety and nuance of the flavors found in tea are akin to those of fine wines. There is so much room for growth and creativity. The sky is the limit.”

15. Björn Thümler, science and culture minister in East Frisia, serving the state of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, a state in northwest Germany, bordering the North Sea)

“Tea is fundamental to all East Frisians. Consistent quality is just as important to us as its ecological cultivation, and the consideration of social standards for the tea farmers. Otherwise, the tea doesn't taste really good.”

16. Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, a professor emeritus in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and the chair of the Sixth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health, held in April 2022

“There is a growing body of research from around the world demonstrating that drinking tea can enhance human health in many ways. True teas – which include black, green, white, oolong and dark – can contribute significantly to the promotion of public health. Evidence presented at this symposium reveals results – ranging from suggestive to compelling – about the benefits of tea on cancer, cardiometabolic disease, cognitive performance and immune function.”

17. Ellainy Karaboitis-Christopoulos, business development manager for the World Tea Conference + Expo

“Besides being the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and having so many variations of tea, the health benefits of tea are beyond amazing. Consumers are more educated about what is healthy and what they are putting into their bodies. That’s why it’s such an important time for tea and tea-related businesses to increase their presence and connect with buyers.”

18. Aureal Ojeda, Founder of Milwaukee, Wisc.-based Outwoken Tea, a zero-waste tea brand that sustainably sources from small tea farms in developing countries

“Since the pandemic began, there has been a trend in people looking toward natural remedies to improve their overall health. I think people are finally understanding that to heal themselves, they must take control of what they are consuming. Because of this, I think it’s a great time for the tea market, as it’s a great way for people to improve their health on a daily basis.”

19. James Norwood Pratt – “Norwood” – a tea author and expert who has served the cause of tea around the world for more than 40 years

“In the end, tea is a treasure of the world and few products do as much to enlarge human happiness and sociability. We in the tea community are the keepers of this treasure, and it is our responsibility to find new ways to obtain and share it – current disruptions notwithstanding.”

Aaron Kiel, based in Raleigh, N.C., has worked in the beverage, tea and coffee industries for nearly two decades. He’s a journalist and writer at heart, but he also wears a PR hat through his consultancy, ak PR Group. He works as an editor with Questex’s Bar & Restaurant Group, including editor of World Tea News, and he’s served the tea community and Questex’s World Tea Conference + Expo since 2010. Contact him here.

Plan to Attend or Participate in the
World Tea Conference + Expo, March 27-29, 2023

To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 27-29, 2023 in Las Vegas, co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.

To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the World Tea Conference + Expo, or to inquire about advertising and sponsorship opportunities at World Tea News, contact:

Ellainy Karaboitis-Christopoulos
Business Development Manager, Questex
Phone: +1-212-895-8493
Email: [email protected]

Also, be sure to stay connected with the World Tea Conference + Expo on social media for details and insights about the event. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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