Best Tea Industry Winners: 2017 World Tea Expo

The Best Tea Industry Winners: 2017 World Tea Expo

The World Tea Expo is an industry trade show event held each June in Las Vegas. The World Tea Awards are given to innovators and tea industry professionals who contribute to the advancement of Specialty Tea.

This year marks the 5th annual World Tea Awards celebrating the tea industry because there is so much more to tea than just the leaf.  Nominations were open to all members of the tea community. I previously talked about many of this year’s winners on some of my blog posts.

In addition to the Expo, World Tea Media also conducts separate tea awards, called the World Tea Championships. These awards are given for iced tea, packaged single serve tea and hot tea at different times throughout the year. My own branded iced tea, MaryAnna’s Tea, won several of those top awards three years in a row.

World Tea News reported the following 2017 winners:

Fifteen categories in all honor the tea community, recognizing the best and brightest in the industry. Category descriptions from World Tea Media are in italics.

Congratulations to all the winners!

1) Best Tea Health Advocate Winner:

A person or business that studies the health benefits of tea and expertly conveys the positive messaging on to other tea businesses and consumers. 

Maria Uspenski, The Tea Spot

I have to assume this was given for her outstanding book, Cancer Hates Tea, which I reviewed here. It’s full of healthy advice and information about tea. I had reviewed and selected Maria’s website as one of the 10 Best Online Tea Shops.

2) Best Consumer-oriented Marketing Campaign/Promotion Winner:

Any company whose advertisement, brochure, infographic, or print or online marketing of tea brings best light and respect to the industry. 

#DrinkTeaCampaign, Created by Gail Gastelu for the Council of Tea of the USA Gail is the founder of The Tea House Times.

3) Best Tea Brewing Device (Electric) Winner:

Any electrical device that facilitates the brewing and preparation of tea automatically or semi-automatically.

Teforia The design is simply beautiful. The function of this elegant tea brewer is to “determine the optimal infusion recipe to bring out the very best in tea.”

 

4) Best Tea Brewing Device (Non-electric) Winner:

Any non-electric device designed to brew, serve or otherwise support the preparation and service of tea.

Bonavita Glass Teapot Removable glass insert to steep loose-leaf tea, made of tempered glass.

5) Best Retail Shop, Cafe, Bar Winner:

A single or multi-unit brick and mortar retail business focused on specialty tea. 

Chado Tea House They specialize in premium quality Japanese green tea such as Gyokuro, Matcha, and Sencha. They import directly from growers in Japan. Chado Tea House has three locations in California.

Related: 10 Best Online Tea Shops

6) Best Tea Accessory Winner:

Any brewing, storage, serving or related accessory or technology that enhances the pleasure and enjoyment of the individual tea experience.

Zojirushi Tea Thermos The tumblers come in two sizes and include a removable basket for steeping loose tea leaves.

7) Best Tea Community-level Campaign Winner:

A program, initiative or group that promotes either the enjoyment of tea consumption and/or in some focused manner the well-being of those involved in the supply chain of tea.

#DrinkTeaCampaign, Created by Gail Gastelu for the Council of Tea of the USA

8) Best Tea Publication Winner:

Any print publication including magazines and books published within the last two years. 

The TEA Book, by Linda Gaylard It looks like I’m not the only one who loved this book. I reviewed it here as one of the 7 Best Tea Books to Make You an Expert.

9) Best Tea Social Media Campaign Winner:

A person or organization that demonstrates professionalism through social media communications that actively support and fuel positive messaging in relation to the tea industry.

Campaign to Crowd Fund Tea Journey Magazine, by Publisher Dan Bolton Tea Journey Magazine, is a beautiful magazine covering the tea world in depth. Tea Journey is a consumer magazine for tea drinkers seeking to source, select, and prepare fine tea. The first 3 issues are available on Amazon.

10) Best E-commerce Tea (or Accoutrements) Website Winner:

A website that services consumers through the sale of teas, tea accessories (gadgets, accoutrements), books and/or related tea enthusiast merchandise.

Harney & Sons Harney & Sons have been in the tea industry for a long time. Their book The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea is reviewed and listed again as one of the 7 Best Tea Books to Make You an Expert.

11) Best Tea Trade Website (Wholesale) Winner:

Any website representing any part of the tea industry including tea rooms, tea retailers, tea wholesalers, and suppliers of tea-related merchandise or accoutrements. 

Camellia Sinensis

12) Best Specialty Tea Brand Winner:

Any tea business selling its own branded tea products -- consumer packaged goods -- that not only showcases excellent tea but puts forth exceptional package design and copy for consumer benefit and greater understanding.

Adagio I have always enjoyed Adagio’s website and buy from them often. I also write for their blog TeaMuse on occasion. They are on my list as one of the 10 Best Online Tea Shops.

13) Best Tea Blog Winner:

A personal or business blog that is regularly and actively posted to, is educational and shows high regard for the tea industry.

Camellia Sinensis Tea Taster’s Blog A tea blog since 2008 with plenty of tea information.

14) Best Tea Educator Winner:

A person who works tirelessly to promote tea and all its wonder. 

James Norwood Pratt  I’ve been fortunate enough to meet him a few times. He is such a genuine and endearing gentleman. I reviewed his book, the New Tea Lover’s Treasury, and listed it as one of the 7 Best Tea Books to Make You an Expert.

15) Best Tea Industry Innovation Winner:

Any person, company or organization that carries forth an inspiring message and solutions for problems and challenges facing the tea industry.

ITO EN Research & Development I never knew this but Ito En does scientific research on green tea. They have a Central Research Institute where they research the nutritional and health benefits of green tea.

Consumer Benefits

The awards recognize excellence within the tea profession, challenging tea professionals to continue to produce high-quality products. In the end, this benefits all of us, the everyday tea drinkers and enthusiasts.

In many ways, the tea world is really quite small.  Of the industry professionals that I’ve met, I have found them all to be very congenial, helpful people. Just genuinely nice people. It must be all that tea!

- See more at World Tea News.

Thanks for Reading

Did you pick a winner? What's your favorite tea innovation? Tell me in the comments below.

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