The Tea Certification programme

• Will be delivered by our licensed partners, Authorised Tea Certifiers. They can be individual educators, tea schools or academies, or work for a company

• The Authorised Tea Certifiers will issue ESTA certificates which, as the programme grows, will become recognised throughout the tea industry as authoritative and synonymous with quality. It is expected that employers will refer to ESTA certification to help them recruit, and individuals will use certification to help their career progression

• All courses available at the moment can be taught online and in person

• The Tea Certification Program is under constant development, check this page for updates

To view our list of certifiers go to the Authorised Tea Certifiers page and to view who is delivering courses in the near future, and where, go to the Upcoming Courses page.

If you have any questions, comments or queries please contact us at education@specialityteaeurope.com.

MODULES

Tea Barista Foundation

Tea Barista Foundation is one of the building block modules of the European Speciality Tea Association’s education initiative, the Tea Certification Programme.

ESTA’s aim is to provide the leading authoritative tea education programme in Europe and beyond.

This course provides the necessary understanding for a barista or shop owner working in a café on a foundation level.

Tea Barista Foundation is an ideal course for anyone who has a professional interest in tea and wants to know more about brewing and serving this amazing beverage.

This course has been designed to mainly focus on practical skills including brewing and tasting tea and will further cover a basic knowledge of tea, hygiene and workflow behind the bar and will touch on customer service skills and menu building.

Tea Barista Foundation can be done online and in classroom.

Students need to pass an online written exam and get a positive Tea Barista – skills report from the Authorised Tea Certifier, teaching the course, to achieve the certificate for Tea Barista Foundation.

Course overview

Camellia Sinensis Foundation

Camellia sinensis Foundation is one of the building block modules of the European Speciality Tea Association's education initiative, the Tea Certification Programme.

ESTA’s aim is to provide the leading authoritative tea education programme in Europe and beyond.

This course provides the necessary understanding on a foundation level of Camellia sinensis, the six categories and the way each one is processed.
The focus will be on basic knowledge and tasting of each category.
This can be developed in more depth by moving on to Camellia Sinensis Intermediate and Advanced.
Camellia sinensis Foundation is an ideal course for anyone who has an interest in tea and wants to know more about this amazing beverage.
All categories of tea will be available to taste, brew and simply enjoy during the course.

Camellia sinensis Foundation can be done online and in classroom.

Course overview

Botanicals Foundation

Botanicals Foundation is one of the building block modules of the European Speciality Tea Association’s education initiative, the Tea Certification Programme.

ESTA’s aim is to provide the leading authoritative tea education programme in Europe and beyond.

ESTA supports and promotes speciality tea (Camellia sinensis), the community and the movement. We also support the botanical sector as an inclusive part of our organisation due to its extensive synergy within the tea industry and with tea lovers and professionals.

This course covers the 12 commonly used botanicals and covers basic knowledge and gives an opportunity to taste and compare all.

These will be covered in more depth and for more botanicals in Botanicals Intermediate and Advanced.

Botanicals Foundation is an ideal course for anyone, who has an interest in botanicals and wants to know more about these amazing infusions.

This course has been designed to combine theory and practical activities where the student can learn and practice new skills in every session.

All covered botanicals will be available to taste, brew and simply enjoy during the course.
Botanicals Foundation can be done online and in classroom.

Course overview

Introduction to Tea

Introduction to Tea, is the first module of the European Speciality Tea Association's education initiative, the Tea Certification Programme.

ESTA's aim is to provide the leading authoritative tea education programme in Europe and beyond.  

This course is a standalone Introduction to Tea, but it provides the necessary background to develop your skills through other modules at Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced level.

Course overview

Introduction to Tea for Hospitality

Introduction to Tea for Hospitality is one of the two introduction modules of the European Speciality Tea Association's education initiative, the Tea Certification Programme.

ESTA's aim is to provide the leading authoritative tea education programme in Europe and beyond.

This course is an Introduction to Tea, but the focus is more on the hospitality industry.

While basic tea knowledge is covered, the course goes more in depth in serving tea in a hospitality environment, the standards and challenges.

Introduction to Tea for Hospitality is an ideal course for new staff members in a café, restaurant or hotel, who need an understanding of the basics of tea, while understanding best practices for the hospitality industry.

This course has been designed to combine theory and practical activities where the student can learn and practice new skills in every session.

Students will receive tea, and herbal samples to conduct the practical activities.

Introduction to Tea for hospitality can be done online and in classroom.

Course overview

If you are interested in becoming involved in our Tea Certification Programme, either as a certifier or as a student, then please contact us by clicking HERE