$500.00
Study how tea is made at origin, with professional instruction in a brand new specialty tea factory that's owned by local tea farmers and Young Mountain Tea! You'll gain first-hand experience with every step of tea's journey from seed to plant to processing to cup. Instruction and curriculum led by Nigel Melican, who designed and equipped the tea factory you'll study in, on one of his final tea tours.
DATES: OCTOBER 18-26, 2024
Nigel has 40 years of hands-on practical experience in the tea industry, as a field and factory trouble-shooter with Unilever, and since 1990 as owner of his tea consultancy company TeaCraft. Nigel has assisted clients in 28 countries – from green tea in Australia to tea extracts in Zimbabwe – and is proud to boast having manufactured tea on six of the world’s seven continents.
Raj has been traveling throughout India for the last 15 years and organizing guided trips into Kumaon since 2016. This trip represents the culmination of almost a decade of work to bring the new factory to reality, and Raj is thrilled to be able to offer you the chance to be part of what's sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone -- the guests, the farmers, and the other organizers. He'll be your primary point of contact for all aspects of the course from handling your questions about details to traveling with you in October. Reach out to him with questions at raj@youngmountaintea.com
Desmond is a life long tea farmer and holds an MS in biochemistry. He's the leading force behind the development of Kumaon tea, holding a variety of positions including managing local factories, overseeing cultivation, and organizing farmers. With the launch of this new factory, Desmond is striking out in a new direction to improve the quality of Kumaon tea in order to improve the quality of Kumaon farmers lives.
"This trip was absolutely amazing. Traveling with Nigel is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. His scientific background combined with decades of experience and desire to teach makes this an incredibly valuable experience. In the 2 weeks traveling with him, during lectures and outside of lectures, I learned new concepts, confirmed theories, clarified concepts that I was fuzzy on, and had knowledge put in a new context. It is hard to articulate just how valuable this trip was to me. If you are hesitating about going, don’t. Just go." ~Danielle Hochstetter (former tea buyer, Peet's, Mighty Leaf, Teforia)
"Tasting fresh tea in India was magical. You can read about how tea is processed but there's nothing like seeing it first hand. We were able to pick tea in the fields and follow it through to production. Such an experience! It's nice to be able to share that first hand knowledge with your customers. In addition it makes you a more credible and a reliable source." ~Amy (Tea Shop Owner and Writer)
