FUTURE WEBINARS
Next webinar Wednesday 21st October 7pm BST
AI for Tea Businesses: 10 Practical Tips to Get You Moving
Practical tools, prompts and workflows for your tea business with Stijn Van Schoonlandt of KRUZE
Stijn Van Schoonlandt
Most tea businesses are small teams juggling sourcing, blending, packaging, content, customer service and paperwork, with little time to spare. AI is no longer just for big companies or tech people, and it can take a surprising amount of that load off your shoulders.
So where do you actually start?
In this session, the European Speciality Tea Association brings you a practical, hands-on look at how tea businesses can use AI today.
This is not a theoretical talk about the future of technology.
Stijn will share the tools and workflows he uses in his own tea and coffee business, along with lessons from AI sessions for tea companies, coffee roasters, chocolate makers and ice cream makers, so you can save time, create better content and bring fresh ideas to life.
What You’ll Gain
✔ 10 practical tips to start using AI in your tea business straight away
✔ Ready-to-use prompts and frameworks you can adapt to your own teas and customers
✔ Real examples from a working tea business, from product development to marketing
✔ A clear view of which AI tools are worth paying for, and which you can skip
✔ Awareness of AI's limits, such as bias and made-up answers, and how to stay in control
What We’ll Cover
How to treat AI as your assistant, using a simple role, context and task framework
How custom instructions, custom GPTs and projects make AI remember your business
How to talk to AI, from brainstorming in the car to role-play sales training
How AI supports everyday tasks such as HACCP documentation, competitor analysis and learning new skills
How AI helped create an award-winning tea blend, and how to generate eye-catching product images and video
The dark side of AI: bias, hallucinations and making your content sound less artificial
Speaker
Stijn Van Schoonlandt is an ESTA Board Member and owner of KRUZE, a Belgian speciality coffee and tea business with its own roastery. Generative AI trainer with Teach & Build AI, helping food and drink businesses, from tea and coffee to chocolate and ice cream, put AI to practical, everyday use
Who Should Attend
Tea shop owners, blenders and brand founders
Tea retailers, importers and hospitality professionals
Tea marketers, educators and consultants
Anyone curious about AI but unsure where to start, no technical knowledge needed
Why This Matters Now
AI tools have become affordable, powerful and easy to use, yet most small tea businesses have barely scratched the surface.
At the same time, customers expect more content, faster answers and a more personal experience.
Businesses that use AI well will free up time for what matters most: sourcing, tasting and connecting with their customers.
This session is designed to help you get started.
Call to Action
If you have been curious about AI but never knew where to begin, or tried ChatGPT once and were underwhelmed, this session will show you what it can really do.
Join us and leave with clear examples, useful prompts and the confidence to start using AI in your tea business the very next day.
📅 Date & Time: 21st October 7pm BST
📍 Where: Online (link provided upon registration)
🛒 Price: Free for ESTA members / £35 for non-members
PAST WEBINARS
From Soil to Shelf: Who Pays for Regenerative Tea — and Who Profits?
A live Earth Day panel/webinar on the future of tea, pricing, and responsibility across the supply chain
This Earth Day, the European Speciality Tea Association brought together leading voices from across the tea value chain for a candid, commercially grounded panel discussion exploring the realities of regenerative tea farming.
A real conversation about:
The true cost of transitioning to regenerative practices
Whether the market is willing to support price premiums
The risks and opportunities for producers, buyers, and brands
How we move from intention to implementation
Panel Speakers:
Annabel Kalmar – Tea Rebellion (Project Lead, RegenTea Initiative)
Moderator: Bernadine Tay, President of ESTA
Why This Matters Now
Regenerative agriculture is rapidly gaining attention across food and beverage — but tea risks falling behind unless the industry aligns on how this transition can work in reality.
This session was designed to bridge that gap.
What You’ll Gain
A clear understanding of what regenerative tea farming actually means in practice
Insight into the economic realities behind adoption
Perspectives from both production and commercial sides of the industry
A first look at the RegenTea project and its role in shaping this transition
Learn more or join the Regenerative Tea Action Project
Fund the pilot and transform the sector
Beyond Asia, Brazil’s Legacy as the First Tea Origin in the West
Enter Brazil's tea culture from its historical beginnings in the 1800s to the producers who keep it alive today.
This webinar, hosted by Alicia Gentili and presented by Renata Acácia, Brazilian tea specialist and member of ESTA, will take you into the heart of Brazil's tea culture from its historical beginnings in the 1800s to the producers who keep it alive today.
Renata shares stories of resilience from the three tea-growing families in São Paulo: Amaya, Shimada, and Yamamaru, insights into Brazil as the first Western country to cultivate Camellia sinensis, and how the Rota do Chá tea tour has connected over 500 people in person and countless more online to Brazil’s tea heritage.
Renata and Tomio
Regenerative Tea Farming Action Project
How Regenerative Farming Can Elevate Your Tea Business
Are you ready to future-proof your farm and thrive in the competitive global tea market? 🌍 In this inspiring and action-packed webinar, Annabel Kalmar, gives an overview of The Regenerative Tea Action Project — why the project is being done, why it's exciting, why farmers should join and what they might get out of it, and what it aims to achieve. Discover how sustainable practices can revolutionise your tea business, boost your competitiveness, and open doors to new opportunities worldwide. Learn how you can join a community of like-minded farmers committed to driving change and building a more sustainable future for the tea industry.
The Regenerative Tea Action Project aims to help accelerate the adoption of and the commercial benefits from regenerative organic tea farming practices in the tea sector by working with smallholders, cooperatives and family run farms.
How to Grow Award Winning Tea
This webinar is presented by our three producer members who recently won awards at The Leafies in London, Jo Harper of Dartmoor Estate Tea in England, Pasan Shalutha from Panilkanda in Sri Lanka and Nishchal Banskota from Nepal Tea Collective. Learn the secret ingredients you need to make award-winning teas.
Nishchal Banskota accepting his Award
The Artisan Tea Movement in Sri Lanka
The goal of the Ceylon Artisanal Tea Association (CATA) is to promote the production and sale of hand-crafted teas made in Sri Lanka. By doing so, we hope to increase the variety of amazing Ceylon teas available to tea-lovers around the world, and to increase the incomes of small farmers and workers who grow Sri Lanka's famous teas.
Learn from their members what teas they are producing, and what type of work and impact they are doing.
CATA green tea rolling. Credit Will Clarkson
Creating Social Impact Through Tea: Exploring the Foundation of Cooperative Efforts in the Himalayas
Vable cheers Kumaon Farmers
Learn about the latest groundbreaking project from Young Mountain Tea, in which they develop a cooperative style tea factory in northern India to revive the local economy and regenerate farming practices. This is a casual discussion hosted by tea making consultant, Alicia Gentili, in which she interviews Young Mountain Tea founder, Raj Vable, and renowned consultant on the project, Nigel Melican, about the history of the Kumaon region, the goals and logistics of this undertaking, and what we can expect to see in the future.
ESTA INFORMATIVE WEBINARS
The future journey of ESTA
Webinar held on 20th March, 2024
A panel of ESTA directors talked about and answered questions on the future journey of ESTA and some of the components and initiatives which will be part of our new three year strategic plan. We discussed and took questions on: Research and Development, Education, Events, Collaboration, Tea Quality, Communications, Competitions, Innovation.
ESTA Open Forum
Webinar held in January 2022.
David Veal, Bernadine Tay, Alexis Kaae and Oscar Woolley discusses progress made in 2021, outlined the plans for 2022 and took comments, questions, suggestions and ideas from the participants.
Our New Tea Certification Programme Revealed
Webinar held in January 2021.
Panelists Nigel Melican, Alexis Kaae, Bernadine Tay and David Veal explained the Tea Certification Programme, introduced the first module, talked about the future of education and answered the many questions put forward by the attendees.
European Speciality Tea Association
Who we are and What we do
Our Mission, Vision, Values and Promoting Speciality Tea
Webinar held in July 2020.
Panelists from our Board of Directors presented why we changed our name to the European Speciality Tea Association; more about our mission and values; how we will be doing more to promote speciality tea in the future; and how you can get involved.
PAST WEBINARS
Past webinars are able to be viewed only by ESTA members as a benefit of their membership.
If you would like to join ESTA please go HERE
2026
Inside Huayopata: Sourcing Tea from Peru's Cloud Forest - Adrienne Bryan
Build a Tea Brand People Actually Care About. Storytelling, authenticity, and growth strategies with Don Mei, Founder of Mei Leaf - Don Mei
From Soil to Shelf: Who Pays for Regenerative Tea — and Who Profits? - Annabel Kalmar and Tahira Nizari
Inside the Art & Science of Tea Blending - From Concept to Commercial Bestseller - Max Frick
2025
Beyond Asia, Brazil’s Legacy as the First Tea Origin in the West - Renata Acácia
Tea Meets Taste: How to Pair Tea with Food Like a Pro - Mariëlla Erkens
How to Approach Digital Marketing as a Tea Retailer - Mackenzie Bailey
Regenerative Tea Farming Action Project - Annabel Kalmar
2024
How to Grow Award Winning Tea - Jo Harper, Pasan Shalutha and Nishchal Banskota
The Artisan Tea Movement in Sri Lanka - Ceylon Artisanal Tea Association (CATA)
Creating Social Impact Through Tea: Exploring the Foundation of Cooperative Efforts in the Himalayas - Raj Vable, Alicia Gentili and Nigel Melican
International Tea Day from Kenya - Boaz Katah and Sharyn Johnston
Tea’s USP: The Health and Wellness Advantage - Edi Obiakpani-Reid
2023
Tea Authenticity - Professor Chris Elliott, Dr. Di Wu and Dr. Terry McGrat
Growing Tea in England. A truly unexpected journey - Jo Harper
A new generation of speciality tea growers from Myanmar - Joyce Maina, Lin, Mynt Mynt, San Min Tun
The Importance of Water Quality in Tea - Christos Gkosdis
People who make tea: Women from Satemwa in Malawi who make tea - Alice and Mary, and Alexander Kay
Nepal's re-evolution in tea: How young tea makers are transforming the Nepali tea industry - Nishchal Banskota
2022
Exploring Turkish Tea Production and Consumption - Dr. Saziye Ilgaz
Finding a Unique Selling Point in Tea - Jon Cooper
Maximising Opportunities with Tea in your Beverage Business - Marco
The Portuguese Love Affair with Camellias and Tea - Nina Gruntkowski
African Speciality Teas : Addressing Quality Assessment & Route to Market - Joyce Maina
Spreading the Production of Specialty Tea in Kenya - Boaz Katah
The Glory of Darjeeling - Rajah Bannerjee
Tea’s Chaotic, Fragmented Markets are a Matter of Taste - Dan Bolton
The many Flavours and Functions of the Honeybush Plant and the Challenges of its Sustainable Cultivation - Daniel Fourie
Japanese Export Trends in the European Market - Anna Poian
Back to the Future: Past and the Future of Speciality Tea - Tim d’Offay
2021
Flavour Perception and Experience. A Multisensory Approach - Dr Ali Amidi and Dr Qian Janice Wang
European Tea Growers Association and the challenges and opportunities of growing tea in Europe - Monica Griesbaum
Rooibos: History, Present and Future…. as the next Speciality Tea? - Anton Louw
Climate & Social Sustainability Initiatives at Jalinga Tea Estate, Assam - Ketan Patel
Tea Cultivation and Production in Europe - Maksym Malyhin
The Challenges of Importing Speciality Tea from China - Anne-Katrin Witt and Maximilian Frick
Value Chain: Pricing Challenges - Will Battle
Direct Trading: Past, Present and Future - Nishchal Banskota
2020
A Consumers Journey to Speciality Tea - Lucy Chappell
A Tea Producers Journey to Speciality - Alexander Kay
Linking Speciality Producers to Consumers - Joyce Maina
The History of the World Tea Expo and Upcoming World Tea Virtual Summit - Faithann Bailes and Tim Mclucas
The Rise of the RTD (Ready to Drink) - Rona Tison
Tea Vulnerabilities, Retail Realities and the Way Forward - Dan Bolton
Using Social Media for your Tea Business - Rebecca Bate
Working Directly with Growers - Elyse Petersen