189 : Talking Tea! w/ Jeffery Champeau of Rishi Tea and Botanicals

While tea is a staple menu item in virtually every coffee bar around the world, our understanding of tea can be fairly limited and the selection of teas often stagnates over the years. Much of this maybe because we don't know where to start with tea and need some guidance in our approach and in setting up a dynamic tea menu. All this and more is what will be addressed on today's episode talking about tea with special guest, Jeffery Champeau, Vice President of Business Development at Rishi Tea ! Rishi Tea and Botanicals has been an importer of organic teas and botanicals from the very best sources since 1997. Their Direct Trade is founded upon long-standing, personal relationships with growers who cultivate ecologically sustainable gardens in remote locations around the world. They offer a highly curated. variety of teas and botanicals from Ooolong, green , white, and pu-erh - to matcha, chai, botanicals, and more. Jeffery has been with Rishi since 2011 but has been fascinated by and immersed in the culture and world of tea for the better part of his life. He possesses a deep understanding of the history and culture of tea as well as its preparation and is passionate about advocating for the farmers who make it all possible. As Jeffery has traveled the world experiencing tea in many different settings I am excited to talk with him specifically about where we stand coffee shops his advice to help us present tea with the same care and mindfulness we give to our coffee. In this episode you will learn: A little history of Rishi and of Jeffery's path into tea How does Rishi curate their offerings? Building sustainable relationships with tea farmers Basics of tea and tasting tea What has changed in how coffee shops approach tea over the years What are we doing wrong Best practices should be adopted to make great tea How to build a great tea menu Links: www.rishi-tea.com Instagram Related Episodes: 037: Chocolate and Coffee w/ Brian Bykke 117 : Coffee and Cocktails w/ Amanda Whitt 039: Lessons from the Restaurant Industry w/ Eric Cattiatore Prima Coffee: Now listeners get 5% off their purchase (some restrictions apply) when they use promo code "HOLIDAY5" Visit : www.prima-coffee.com/keys Pacific Barista Series: Plant Based Performance Beverages www.pacificfoods.com/food-service