TEA BARISTA
Historic definition: An Italian bartender who prepares and serves a range of hot and cold drinks
Current definition: Someone who serves and prepares coffee, often with passion and dedication
Future definition: A professional who prepares and serves with skill, passion, knowledge, innovation and dedication, not only coffee but a range of drinks including TEA and botanicals.
We would like to welcome you to our world, where great quality tea plays the most important role on the menu. However, in order for your cup to be filled with this wonderful hot beverage, a number of steps need to be taken in the right way and with the right knowledge. Very similar to a cup of well brewed coffee. When we want to drink a properly prepared espresso or try a unique microlot brewed in an alternative way we go to a qualified barista. We're excited to hear about the farm, the people who work to process the coffee, and then about the brewing process itself to discover an incredible array of flavours and aromas. So why do we forget that tea involves exactly the same steps? The Tea Barista is a person who is equally passionate about tea brewing. This is a person who with the same enthusiasm will tell you about the farm where the tea comes from, the processing it goes through, and will choose from among many others the tea which has an incredibly high quality and unique flavour. And then will focus on brewing it properly. He or she will weigh the right amount of tea, prepare filtered water to a specific temperature and focus on brewing time. It is the Tea Barista who is responsible for making that cup of tea you will remember. Let's expand our horizons both as tea enthusiasts and as professionals. Tea Barista is a very forward-thinking concept. Just like the world of coffee, the world of tea is incredibly exciting and stimulating! And the right knowledge and skills give us even more opportunities and satisfaction to be part of the wonderful and flavourful world of tea.
Welcome to the world of the Tea Barista.
Calling All Tea Baristas
Given that tea is the new coffee it makes perfect sense that the new kid on the block will be the Tea Barista.
Who is a Tea Barista?
If for some time you have been passionate about tea and coffee, in terms of knowledge and skills, your connection with the value chain and speciality tea community and you embrace innovation as well as enjoy delivering a fantastic sensory experience then you are probably a Tea Barista.
As a Tea Barista you also recognise that in the barista world there is life beyond coffee. It’s a world in which, in most coffee shops, tea is seen as a very poor second class citizen. But you know that tea has possibilities equal to those of coffee; possibilities previously ignored by coffee shops and the barista community at large, and it’s time to explore them!
As a Tea Barista what do you do?
Firstly, you’ve made the decision to direct some of your passion to embracing innovation and delivering a fantastic sensory experience with tea. You add great quality speciality teas and botanicals to your menu which gives your cafe a competitive edge, greater profit, and provides your customers with an enhanced choice and sensory experience.
What will European Speciality Tea Association do to help?
We will recognise and promote the concept of the Tea Barista
We will introduce a Tea Barista module to our Tea Certification Education Programme
We will organise Tea Barista competitions to bring interest, education, excitement and enhanced quality to speciality tea
We now have a Tea Barista membership category, at a friendly price, that will offer extra benefits including free entry to the competitions, a Tea Barista pin badge and discounts off education
We want you to be part of our amazing speciality tea journey, click here to join us now and become a Tea Barista.
Tea Barista membership £75.00
Membership benefits
Membership pack
Certificate of membership
Regular newsletter
Free access to publications
Free access to Tea 101
Discount on education, products and services
Volunteer at events
Access to webinars
Voting rights
Use of European Speciality Tea Association Logo
Discounted Entry to events
Access to membership directory
Mentorship
Join our committee
Free entry to competitions
Tea Barista pin badge
Discounted Tea Barista apron