ITEI Certified Tea Sommelier Course

Course Overview

Depending on your professional background and aspirations, the ITEI Tea Sommelier certification will provide you with the confidence, knowledge and qualifications required to become a tea expert within a food and beverage environment such as a restaurant, hotel or tea house.

The ITEI Tea Sommelier course will take place at WSET London Bridge and will consist of 9 modules, additional reading and an exam at the end of the course.

Apart from an extensive practical aspect of the course, which will focus on various tea ceremonies and tea cupping (tasting), the course will also include the basics such as tea types, regions and manufacturing, and also other subjects such as tea and food parings, tea menu design, and tea orientated mixology.

The next ITEI Tea Sommelier course will take place in London soon, date to be announced.

If you are interested in attending this course, please email us at teaschool@camelliasteahouse.com or call 0203 489 7676.

MODULE 1 – Introduction to the world of tea

ITEI Tea Sommelier™ role within the food service, catering and hospitality
One plant and six tea categories review
Artisan tea gardens, co-ops and tea estates
Introduction to tea vessels from China and Japan

MODULE 2 – Tea producing countries and regions

Tea, terroirs and cultivars
Tea producing countries and regions around the world
The tea plant cultivation and harvesting

MODULE 3 – How tea is manufactured

Organic and Fairtrade teas
Tea manufacturing impact on tea types and tastes
Professional cupping of White teas – Green Teas – Oolong Teas – Black teas – Pu-Erh Teas

MODULE 4 – The science of tea tasting

Selection of tea utensils variables within the food Service and catering industry
Tea and water
ITEI Tea Sommelier utensils – tea service at its best
ITEI Sensory Tea Evaluation Approach
Tea quality assessment and tasting terminology

MODULE 5 – Tea Menus/ Tea cocktails/ Tea & food pairing basics

Are there any rules for Tea & Food pairing?
Mixology
Tea lattes, iced teas, bubble teas, tea cocktails
Let’s pair tea & diverse food categories
How to design a Tea Menu
English Afternoon Tea

MODULE 6 – China teas & “terroirs”/ China tea history capsule and tea regions

Cupping of China Whites
Cupping of China Greens
Cupping of China Oolongs
Cupping of China Blacks
Cupping of China Darks/ Pu-Erh

MODULE 7 – Taiwan teas & “terroirs”/ Taiwan tea history capsule and tea regions

Cupping of low altitude Oolongs
Cupping of high altitude Oolongs
Cupping of baked Oolongs

MODULE 8 – Japanese teas & “terroirs”/ Japan tea history capsule and tea regions

Gyokuro tea vs Sencha tasting
Let’s taste Japan’s most popular teas
Matcha tea tasting and preparation tips

MODULE 9 – Indian/ Sri Lankan teas & “terroirs” and tea regions

CTC teas vs Orthodox
Tea grading
Let’s taste Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri teas
Chai tea
Let’s taste and compare first, second, autumnal flushes
Cupping of Ceylon high grown teas
Cupping of Ceylon mid grown teas

Final Exam

Closed book written exam of 50 multiple-choice questions and practical skills and blind tasting. Upon successful completion of this Certification, students receive the ITEI Tea Sommelier™ Certificate