Tea Blog

As we’ve already noted in these pages, there are any number of ways to advance your education about all things tea, including books, magazines, films, online resources and more. If you’re interested in getting more serious about the pursuit of tea, courses offered by the American Tea Masters Association (ATMA) and the Specialty Tea Institute (STI) are another worthwhile option.

The ATMA was founded in 2007. It calls itself “a nationally recognized, membership-based organization founded to provide Mastery Level training, education, and professional certification to individuals desiring to become tea masters and tea sommeliers.” Anyone who successfully completes the ATMA’s Tea Mastery Certification Course receives a Certified Tea Master designation.

Tea Mastery Certification Courses take place over a period of 13 weeks. They begin with a comprehensive three-day course that takes place on site. As of this writing, the next session is scheduled for June, 2010 in San Diego, California, with the initial three-day program to be followed by a 12-week telecourse.

Among those who might benefit from this course, according to the ATMA, are “restaurant and tea court managers, wine sommeliers, tea aficionados, industry suppliers, and others who wish to incorporate tea mastery skills into their daily lives or current profession.”

The three-day session immerses participants “in a unique and intense week of learning and training, along with real-life practice sessions preparing and serving different teas” and the telecourse builds on skills learned during this session.

The ATMA faculty includes Chas Kroll, who also serves as Executive Director. Kroll was formerly the owner of Royal Dynasty Tea, an online specialty tea business. Other faculty members include Alan Laszuk, a Certified Tea Master with extensive experience in the food and beverage industry.

The Specialty Tea Institute is part of the Tea Association of the U.S.A. and is “dedicated to serving the needs of purveyors in the specialty tea industry.” Among the seminars they offer are Foundations of Tea: Level One & Level Two, and the Professional Series: Level Three.