Tea Master's Association Survey

The Value of Training to Become a Certified Tea Master
(from a press release)

The American Tea Masters Association surveyed several of the Certified Tea Masters who completed its Tea Mastery Certification Course. The course is required for obtaining the prestigious Certified Tea Master™ designation. The purpose of the survey was to determine the value of the training program offered by the association.

Program graduates were asked three questions:

1. What are the most significant benefits you received by completing the Tea Mastery Certification Course?
2. How has the Certified Tea Master designation helped you?
3. How have these benefits affected your tea business or plans to start one?

The results of the survey were universal, inspirational, and empowering. The complete report containing all of the respondents’ answers is on the association’s web site. The association wishes to publicly thank each of the Certified Tea Masters who responded to the survey.

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Pouch Tea Mug Commercial

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Tea Business Spotlight 4 - Runa LLC

Welcome to the fourth of our Tea Business Spotlights, in which we allow tea people to share insights on running their business. If you're a tea business owner and you'd like to take part in an upcoming spotlight, please contact us.

Runa LLC
Providence, Rhode Island

How long have you been in business?
We founded Runa in early 2009, and have been working full time since July of 2009.

What is the size/scope of your business?
We launched our first product line in the Fall of 2010, and are now being sold through 100 retail locations on the East Coast, including several dozen Whole Foods Markets. We have 4 employees for our US company, and 16 employees under our Ecuadorian company, in addition to 600 indigenous farming families that we partner with.

Runa Guayusa Teas Energize Hollywood

Runa Amazon Guayusa Teas Energize Hollywood…Naturally
(from a press release)

Runa Amazon Guayusa (why-U-sa) made the trek from the Rainforests of Ecuador to Beverly Hills last weekend to share the benefits of delicious and natural sustained energy to Hollywood celebrities as they prepare for the 68th Annual Golden Globe Award Show.

For centuries, drinking Guayusa has been a cultural tradition to the indigenous people of Ecuador, as the rich flavor is the centerpiece for gatherings of friends and families sharing stories, dreams, and aspirations while drinking guayusa from a communal pot. Guayusa contains slightly more caffeine than black tea, and contains theobromine, which offers the uplifted and bodily energy found in dark chocolate. With greater antioxidant potential than Vitamin C and twice the antioxidants of green tea, guayusa offers clarity, alertness, and what the indigenous people call “mental strength and courage.”

Runa Amazon Guayusa has married this ancient herb with delicious and satisfying flavors that are the perfect accompaniment to anything and everything on a busy celebrity’s to-do list. There is a zesty Ginger Citrus blend to get you moving with an invigorating twist of ginger and citrus flavors; Peppermint helps you to cool down and warm up; Guayusa Spice is an Amazonian blend of energizing guayusa with full-bodied cinnamon and aromatic lemongrass as the perfect afternoon treat; and Traditional Guayusa is smooth and rich with a hint of sweetness to help you stay awake through even the longest running awards show.

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Tea Forte Offers a Refuge of Relaxation

Tea Forte Offers a Refuge of Relaxation
(from a press release)

Tea Forte, the global luxury tea brand identified around the world as the ultimate tea experience, announced the launch of an innovative new line of organic, Fair Trade Certified herbal relaxation teas for balance and well-being.

"Herbal Retreat Teas are an invitation to retreat, relax and rejuvenate," states Company founder Peter Hewitt. "These delicious, naturally caffeine-free steeps offer an escape from the chaotic rhythm of daily life with herbal blends artfully crafted to reduce the negative effects of daily stress while helping soothe both body and mind."

Packaged in recyclable, air-tight EnviroTins that protect the teas, each tin contains eco-friendly, biodegradable full-leaf sachets made of GMO free, corn silk. Herbal Retreat Relaxation Teas have a suggested retail price of $8.95.

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TWG's World Of Tea

As someone with a strong interest in drinking and writing about tea, I find myself clicking through to a whole bunch of tea merchant's web sites. Many of them, quite frankly, are just more of the same - a seemingly random selection of teas that attempts to span the various categories of tea types and perhaps a smattering of teaware and other stuff.

I didn't expect anything different when I went to TWG's site recently but I was pleasantly surprised. They seem to specialize in nicely packaged, somewhat high-falutin' looking gourmet teas, which is all well and good if you go for that sort of thing.

What caught my eye, however, was an interesting selection of loose teas from assorted and sundry points around the world. Many of these are places we don't typically associate with tea production. Among the countries represented, Argentina, Bangladesh, Burma, Georgia, Indonesia, Mozambique, Papa New Guinea (!) and Persia. To take a look at these and more, click here.

Image: TWG Tea

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South American Tea School Making Headlines

South American Tea School Making Headlines
(from a press release)

The American Tea Masters Association is pleased to announce the licensing of its tea mastery training courses and support materials to Escuela Argentina de Té (Argentina School of Tea), headquartered in Rosario, Argentina. The school was launched in June, 2010, by Diego Morlechetti and Liliana Venerucci, both trained as Certified Tea Masters by the association.

The new school is responsible for training and certifying registrants fluent in Spanish who reside in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Spain. The objective of the school is to grant true knowledge and professional training on this topic to Spanish-speaking consumers. Current courses of instruction include: Certified Tea Sommelier, Certified Tea Blender, and Certified Tea Master. Several new courses will be announced in March on the school’s web site.

ATMA

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RAF (Royal Air Force) Tea

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Tea Trekker's Yellow Tea 101

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