[vc_row][vc_column][mk_fancy_title size=”20″ font_family=”none”]FIRST TEA MASTERS CUP IN SINGAPORE TO BE HELD ON 4TH MARCH 2017[/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]5 January 2017, Singapore – Well-respected tea training and blending organisation Australian Tea Masters will officially debut in Singapore this year, following a soft launch last year with exciting tea sommelier training programmes, and the first ever Tea Masters Cup in Singapore to be held during Café Asia on 4th March from 10am – 5pm.
Created in 2012, Australian Tea Masters has grown into the leading organization for professional tea training in Australia with the aim of supporting the tea market and assisting in growing tea businesses of all kinds, while helping people re-discover the importance of tea in their daily lives with a fresh approach.
The art of tea brewing has in recent years been liven and invigorated, spearheaded by a growing number of innovative tea connoisseurs, baristas and sommeliers around the world. This group of people are now experimenting and finding new ways to modernise what used to be a highly ritualised tradition first made famous by the ancient tea practice by the Chinese and Indians – by using alternative brewing tools such as the Chemex, the Steampunk brewing machine, and innovative brewing methods such as Cold brewing.
With tea consumption on the rise in Singapore, there is room to offer consumers a better tea experience when they dine out. Australian Tea Masters aims to revitalise the culture of tea, by giving professionals in the hospitality industry the opportunity to learn a contemporary approach to the basic tea experience by using innovative materials such as the tea sommelier app, alongside customised materials such as the tea tasting wheel, and tea sommelier handbook to impart the knowledge.
“Tea appreciation is such a beautiful and enjoyable art with so much to learn. Thus, just like what we have done in Australia, we will continue to create quality tea education journeys that are accessible, informative and engaging in Singapore and beyond”, says Sharyn Johnston, Founder and CEO of Australian Tea Masters.
Tea Masters Cup Singapore – 4th March, 2017
The Tea Masters Cup is an international competition among tea industry professionals and is held every year with several qualifying rounds held in each participating country. The winners in each of the national event will advance to the Tea Masters Cup International Competition.
The Singapore edition will be hosted by Australian Tea Masters and e2i, with Chef Edmund Toh, President of Singapore Chef Association as part of the judging panel during the Cup, where he will be sharing the art of tea and food pairing. The competition will consist of three separate categories, in which each contestant can choose to compete in either one, or in all three categories, and be judged on the following:
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Cat 1 – Tea Preparation
A master has 15 minutes to demonstrate the skill of tea preparation by brewing and presenting two beverages
- Cat 2 – Tea Pairing
A master must demonstrate the skill of presenting tea in combination with light food/snack
- Cat 3 – Tea Tasting
A master must demonstrate the skill of degustation by identifying beverage samples in the fastest time possible
“With food being an integral part of the Singapore culture, the pairing of tea and food adds an extra flavour to the dining experience and is something that we hope to expose to everyone. We would like to invite budding tea connoisseurs to join us, and we hope the Tea Masters Cup will influence, drive tea education in Singapore and inject excitement and interest in the world of tea, says Julie Wang, Certified Tea Master and Training Director for Australian Tea Masters Singapore.
Since its soft launch last year, the Australian Tea Masters has within a short span of time, conducted sold-out certified tea sommelier and certified tea blending professional courses – helping cafes and restaurants in Singapore create their own quality tea blends to enhance their guests’ dining experience and making a difference in the competitive F&B market.
In 2016, the Australian Tea Masters collaborated with the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to launch the Certified Tea Sommelier and the Certified Tea Blending courses – the first two in a series of tea training courses that will be launching in Singapore. The launch of this pilot programme, dedicated to the profession of tea, is set to contribute to the overall education and training of the beverage sector, which is currently more geared towards the provision of specialty coffee and wine courses.
“The certified tea sommelier course that we launched in 2016 with Australian Tea Masters seeks to nurture the next generation of tea masters, and at the same time, help our local F&B talents to continuously upgrade, and provide skilled workers for the manpower tight F&B sector. By professionalising tea service and increasing the skills repertoire, F&B professionals can develop deeper skills and strengthen their employability. Through our partnerships, e2i endeavours to introduce more master classes for working people to gain industry insights and build competencies,” says Mr Tan Wee How, Assistant Director, e2i.
For more information, the latest 2017 schedule of Australian Tea Masters professional training programmes can be found on the official website at www.australianteamasters.com.au
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][vc_column_text]About Australian Tea Masters
Australian Tea Masters is the leading organisation for professional tea training and tea education in Australasia. Founded in 2012 by Sharyn Johnston, it aims to bring awareness to the work and love that goes into the picking of every leaf, tea manufacturing processes, marketing of tea, health benefits of tea and the amazing flavours that comes from steeping the whole leaf via specialty tea education and training.
Besides developing the first tea training program in the “tea sommelier course” that has been accredited by the National Register of Vocational Education and Training in Australia, it has also developed the world’s first online tea training program, the world’s first tea aroma wheel and tea aroma training kit. Their aim is to increase the knowledge and presence of tea by linking in with professional tea educators and tea boards all around the world, creating a strong professional tea network to enable Australasia to have the highest international standard in tea education.
Sharyn Johnston is the founder and CEO of Australian Tea Masters and started the organization after the extensive travel she had around the globe as a corporate executive exposed her to tea as a form of welcoming beverage. In early 2011 Sharyn embarked on a specific journey to study tea and understand the different growing areas and teas around the world. In 2012 Sharyn launched Australian Tea Masters as a tea training program of excellence. Sharyn regularly travels to tea farms around the world in search of new teas and also for the education. Sharyn is also one of the founding directors of Coffee Cartel in Australia with her son Nathan, developing a specialty coffee/roastery house which has since 2008, gone on to become one of Australia’s best.
Julie Wang is a Certified Tea Master and the Training Director in Singapore for Australian Tea Masters. After having worked as a regional marketing specialist for Lipton and several brands across Asia, the self-confessed “tea junkie” believed that there was definitely room to professionalize tea service and offer a better tea experience in this region. Hence, in February 2016, she partnered the founder of Australian Tea Masters, Sharyn Johnston, to offer its professional tea training, tea & food pairing events, tea business advisory and blending services in Singapore. Since then, Australian Tea Masters have been appointed the official tea trainer for Food & Hotel Asia, 2016, official media partner for Café Asia 2016, and have conducted sell-out tea courses including the inaugural Certified Tea Sommelier.
For more information, log on to www.australianteamasters.com.au
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][vc_column_text]About e2i (Employment and Employability Institute)
e2i is the empowering network for individuals and companies seeking skills and solutions for growth. Since 2008, e2i has assisted 500,000 individuals through our career guidance, professional development, and job matching services. With an extensive network of partners, e2i offers hiring, training and productivity solutions to businesses. We are an initiative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to support nation-wide manpower and skills upgrading initiatives. For more information, please visit www.e2i.com.sg.
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About Café Asia/ICT Expo 2017
Café Asia / ICT Expo 2017 is Southeast Asia’s largest Café, Coffee & Tea Exposition!
The two expositions are held concurrently to offer the ideal one-stop convenient hub for professionals to source for supplies and explore business opportunities with both regional and international counterparts. They are the most dedicated events on the region’s café, coffee and tea industries in Singapore.
As the only trade and consumer exhibitions in Southeast Asia catering to the café, coffee and tea communities, Café Asia & ICT Industry Expo will bring together café owners and managers, coffee and tea exporters and importers as well as distributors and suppliers of café-related machinery and equipment in a dynamic marketplace.
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][vc_column_text]For more information or images, please contact:
Mango PR Singapore
Helga Solares – [email protected]
Samantha Baey – [email protected]
T: +65 6536 6527[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
