Tea Master Cup promotes tea experience
Sri Lanka will be conducting the Tea Master Cup on September 17 in a bid to select the best to compete for the World Cup in China.
Young tea sommeliers are initially trained by the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) in tea pairing and mixing and are working together with the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) with the finals scheduled to be held at the Hilton Hotel in Colombo.
At least 150 are trained regionally in Kandy, Ahungalla, Colombo, Negombo and Sigiriya with Sharon Johnston, renowned nutritionist presiding at the Tea Master Cup event in Sri Lanka.
This is part of the initial phase of the promotion campaign as it had been found that a growing tourism trade saw the attraction of a large number of travellers to Sri Lanka wanting a tea experience. But in many instances this was not available or simply limited to tea bags and a teapot.
In this respect, persons are trained in learning about tea and how tea and food pairing can increase the commercial opportunity for restaurants and allowing the visitor to gain a positive experience of consuming tea.
In addition, the travellers would also be able to gain some knowledge and taste the different flavours of teas from the various regions in the country like the specialty and regional teas and this is being used to promote to the international visitors.
When customers go back home they would also purchase gifts of tea themselves that would enable the industry to allow its initial sales to be carried out by the tourists.