The World Tea Conference + Expo, the leading tea event and largest gathering of the tea industry, will take place alongside Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 21-23, 2022, in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
For restaurateurs, hospitality groups, chefs, bartenders and other food and beverage professionals, World Tea is a must-attend event. Plus, it’s free to visit the World Tea expo hall or educational sessions, if you’re already registered for the Bar & Restaurant Expo (except for workshops and special ticketed events).
Here are just a few of the reasons why the World Tea Conference + Expo should matter to you and your restaurant or bar business.
‘World Tea’ Is a Chance to Discover How Tea Can Be Elevated on Your Menu
Yes, you can profit from tea. And you can attract more customers who appreciate tea in general, as well as premium and specialty tea. Plus, tea can be an excellent complement with fine cuisine. You can even cook with tea! And tea is part of the rising low/no-alcohol trend we're seeing across the industry.
In a recent World Tea News article about tea and restaurants, Rodrick Markus of Rare Tea Cellar talked about how he partners with some of the world’s most renowned chefs, restaurants and bars. Their teas and ingredients have graced the menus of restaurant giants such as Alinea, Oriole, Le Bernardin, Single Thread Farms and the now-closed Trois Mec, along with more than 2,000+ foodservice clients.
“Tea has the ability to provide a boost of energy, aid in digestion, and add nuance to menus in ways no other ingredient can,” said Markus. “Tea can help to take bars and restaurants from ordinary to extraordinary.”
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“A Partnership of Tea & Beer” – Bryan Hackman, founder, Cotee River Brewing Co.; Kelly Hackman, owner, The White Heron Tea & Gifts and Driftwood Tea Company
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“From Napa to Nilgiri: How Fine Wine & Quality Tea Have More in Common Than You Think” – Will Battle, founder, Fine Tea Merchants
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“Boba the Gateway Drink & More” – Andrew Chau, co-founder and CEO, Boba Guys
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“The Art of Cold Brew” – Julia Leach, president, Toddy LLC; Richard Barth, culinary specialist and marketing coordinator, Toddy
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“Changing Consumer Needs and the Opportunities for Tea” – Matthew Barry, senior beverages consultant, Euromonitor International
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“Tea as a Multifaceted Beverage” – Dr. Nada Milosvljevic MD, JD, founder and CEO, Sage Tonic
You Can Sample LOTS of Tea at the Tea Bar to Get Inspired!
The Tea Bar at the World Tea Conference + Expo will highlight the latest specialty teas and infusions from around the world, as well as innovation with tea cocktails and mocktails. Industry leaders will prepare and serve the drinks for attendees to sample and taste.
The Tea Bar is the perfect place to taste different teas and to begin your journey in the exciting world of tea.
Jeni Dodd, owner and founder of Jeni Dodd Tea – a company dedicated to importing hand-crafted specialty teas and offering tea education for groups and events – told World Tea News, “One of the best avenues to achieve higher tea sales in restaurants and bars is quite literally mixing the two worlds – tea cocktails.”
So, with the World Tea Conference + Expo on your “doorstep” at the upcoming Bar & Restaurant Expo, it’s time to get a fresh perspective on tea and learn how your business can benefit from the “leaf” in new ways.
“No longer should the restaurant and bar industry consider tea to be simply consumed hot with milk or with sugar added,” shared Sharyn Johnston, CEO of the Australian Tea Masters Association Pty Ltd., who’ll be participating in the upcoming World Tea Conference + Expo. “Tea can be used in a cocktail, a mocktail, as a base for simple syrups, and as an infusion that can be used in a myriad of ways including to cook with. Tea also needs to take an important place on a menu – not as a small add-on or after thought. We need to change the way tea is signified and we need to work with the hospitality industry to share these ways through education.”
Johnston’s Australian company currently produces and exports more than 12 tons of tea and wellness blends a year. She also educates in modern tea mastery, tea blending and tea sommelier training, providing training to various sectors of the hospitality industry – both locally and internationally.
“The art of tea, the visual experience of tea, the flavours of tea, the stories of tea, the opportunities for tea in the bar and restaurant industry – it must be embraced by all parties to make a change that will create an incredible synergy,” said Johnston. “Indeed, the journey is just beginning.”
There’s an Expo Floor Filled with Tons of Teas + Opportunity for Your Business
The World Tea exhibit hall will feature hundreds of new teas, tea wares, brewing accessories and related goods and services, which will interest Bar & Restaurant Expo attendees.
Just a few of the participating exhibitors include: International Tea Importers, QTrade Teas & Herbs, Australian Native Products, Bobacino, Dethlefsen & Balk, DMH Ingredients, Eastern Elm, Firsd Tea, Flowerhead Tea, Glenburn Tea Direct, Marumatsu Tea Corporation, Mennä, Nepal Tea, Sri Lanka Tea Board and The Chai Box, among many others.
See the growing list of World Tea exhibitors here.
World Tea – and the many exhibitors on the show floor – is your chance to explore all things tea and meet with the experts, who can answer all of your questions and offer insights on how to profit from tea at your establishment.
Pro Tip: If you’re interested in tea for your bar or restaurant, connect with the exhibitors at the World Tea Conference + Expo. Talk to the speakers in sessions. Network with attendees of World Tea. Find a partner that can supply teas and help you create innovative tea cocktails and develop a unique tea menu. Utilize their expertise and let them guide you to success.
Lisa Boalt Richardson, the director of Questex’s World Tea Academy, which offers tea education to various professionals (including those in the bar and restaurant industry), offers advice on the importance of not overlooking tea at a bar or restaurant: “When I worked in the restaurant industry in the ‘80s and ‘90s, tea was definitely an afterthought. The tea service consisted of an institutional-looking small pitcher that was filled with tepid water and placed on a plate with a teabag. The teabag was who knows how old and most likely stored improperly so that little to no flavor could be extracted… If restaurants and bars are still stuck in this kind of tea service, they are missing out on a potential revenue stream and customer experience. Unlike the ‘90s – where tea equipment and high-end teas were hard to source – the inventory of teaware, specialty tea and brewing equipment available to fit the needs of any restaurant or bar’s ambiance today are endless.”
Lisa McDonald, owner of TeaHaus, a loose-leaf tea store and cafe/restaurant in Ann Arbor, Mich., and a frequent participant in World Tea, noted, “A restaurateur can elevate any dining experience by adding tea pairings to the menu. Try, for example, a first-flush Darjeeling instead of a dry white wine when choosing a pairing for fish with a light and creamy fresh dill sauce. Or perhaps select a tea that’s a bit nuttier with a slight sweet finish – such as an Oolong from Vietnam – to go with a perfectly prepared steak. Meanwhile, the chef – by using various teas – can add familiar yet intriguing flavors to dishes. Smoky Lapsang Souchong, for instance, lends itself easily to so many items and gives the pallet a hint of smoke, while something as simple as infusing heavy cream with a dark and malty Assam before whipping to serve on top of warm semolina honey cake can be the difference between a good dessert and a wow dessert!”
McDonald – who consults with head chefs and mixologists at some of the finest bars and restaurants, to help them incorporate tea in their menu and cocktails – added: “A few simple tea syrups, tea bitters, or even just a great tea-infused gin or vodka behind the bar, can give any cocktail a little something extra. Tea can be used by cold infusion, hot infusion, grinding, marinading, as a dry rub, in spice blends, extracted in alcohol, and in many other ways. It can be as versatile as salt and pepper.”
Be a Part of the World Tea Conference + Expo
To learn more about the World Tea Conference + Expo, visit WorldTeaExpo.com, and make plans to walk the show floor, network and attend some of the educational sessions. You can also learn more about tea by subscribing to Questex’s free World Tea News weekly eNewsletter. Sign up here or visit WorldTeaNews.com.
Aaron Kiel, based in Raleigh, N.C., is the editor of World Tea News, which is the leading source for news, insights and resources within the global tea community. He’s worked in the tea, coffee and beverage industries for nearly two decades. He’s a journalist and writer at heart, but he also wears a PR hat through his consultancy, ak PR Group. Aaron has served the tea community, the World Tea brand and the World Tea Conference + Expo since 2010. Email him here.
The Bar & Restaurant Expo (formerly Nightclub & Bar Show) is a live, in-person event held March 21-23, 2022 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Click here get your tickets now!
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