TEA TESTING & TECHNOLOGY
Tea Tasting & Technology is a Diploma that covers the entire tea industry, designed along with Australian Teamasters. The program is focused mainly on practicals in Tasting & Grading yet covers the entire industry and intends giving participants sufficient knowledge of each sector while going deep in to certain areas based on requirement, making the program suitable even for seniors in the trade who wish to grow their knowledge on other sectors. Each session will be divided in to two starting with practicals in tasting & grading followed by lectures. Site visits to a Plantation, Factory, Brokers tea room & logistic center, Tea Auction & Exporter warehouse/factory included. Below is a brief of the modules included.
Tasting
Objective: Learn the art of Tasting Tea
Facilitator:
Mr.Asoka Goonethilake
Consultant & Former Director Sri Lanka Tea Board Tasting unit
This module is 100% practical with hands on training on how to brew & taste tea. It will train participants to identify difference in taste of tea from the main growing regions as well as seasonal characters. It will also train them to identify good teas against poor tea & faulty manufacture.
Grading & Blending
Objective: Learn the art of Grading & Blending
Facilitator:
Mr.Graham Stork
Director The Herbal Storage & former Manager George Steuart Teas
Experience: Over 20 years
This module is 100% practical where participants will learn the different grades of Ceylon tea and then go on to grade them having created standards. It will also include blending to match the standard. Participants will also be introduced to the world of herbs & flavour with a blending session where each participant creates his own signature blends.
Etiquette & Ethics
Objective: Understand basic grooming, Business & meal etiquette along with the importance of good ethics & honesty in business.
Facilitator:
Mr.Harshana Dassanayake
Director of Daash Global & Former Head of Training at Dialog Axiata
Experience: Over 25 years
This module covers how to do a proper handshake, give out visiting cards, dress sense, dining and the importance & advantages of good ethics & honesty in business alongside the negative effects of dishonesty.
Introduction & History of Tea
Know the history behind the tea industry in Sri Lanka and globally.
Facilitator:
Dr. Zayid Mohammed
Consultant & Former Director Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka
Experience: Over 30 years
This module covers the discovery of tea in China, arrival & commercial planting of tea in Sri Lanka, Other growing countries, the main markets etc. You will also learn the different growing regions in Ceylon and what differentiates these teas from each other and the conditions that bring out the said characteristics in the tea.
Planting
Objective: Know how tea is planted & grown
Facilitator:
Mr.Ananda Fernando
Executive Director Eastern Brokers ltd
Experience: Over 30 years
This module takes you on a visit to a tea plantation to understand how tea is planted and grown. It also covers nutritional requirements of a plant & disease and how to overcome some of the challenges a plant faces. It also covers how elevation, soil & climatic conditions effect the appearance & taste of tea. The module also includes class room sessions for further explanation and understanding of
Manufacture
Objective: Know how tea is Manufactured
Facilitator:
Dr.Zayid Mohammed
Consultant & Former Director Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka
Experience: Over 30 years
This module takes you to a tea factory to understand Orthodox Leafy manufacture, explaining in detail the function of each machine and how they contribute to the making of a perfect tea. The module also includes a classroom session where Rotowayne & CTC manufacture will be explained alongside the science behind the many characteristics of tea.
Broking
Objective: Know how the Auction & Distribution system functions within the Island
Facilitator:
Mr. Charmara Dissanayake
Senior Director of Asia Siyaka Commodities PLC
Experience: Over 25 years
This module takes you on a visit to a brokers Tea Room & Logistic Center as well as the Colombo Tea Auction. The module explains how over a million samples are packed & distributed for evaluation, how the Auction functions on the ‘word of a Gentleman’ and how teas come to Colombo and how they are distributed to buyers. The module includes a classroom session as well.
Export
Objective: Know how a Tea exporter functions
Facilitator:
Mr. Graham Stork
Director The Herbal Storage & former manager George Steuart Teas
Experience: Over 20 years
This module explains the work flow of a Tea Exporter from sampling to buying at the auctions to blending & shipment. It also includes branding with a bit of neuro-marketing and costing. A site visit to an exporters warehouse/factory included in the module.
Shipping
Objective: Understand shipping documentation
Facilitator:
Mrs. Amali Fernando
Shipping Manager Regency Teas
Experience: Over 20 years
This module stresses on the importance of shipping documentation. It explains all essential documents along with an overview of optional documents on customer request. It also explains HS codes & all Inco terms along with other shipping jargon.
Food Safety
Objective: Understand the importance of Food Safety & Certification
Facilitator:
Senani de Coonghe
Consultant/Managing Director Knowledge Mag Consultancy and Training Services
Experience: Over 20 years
This module takes us in to the history of food safety and highlights its importance for the wellbeing of humans & nature. It highlights the threats posed by improper food safety standards. It also gives an introduction to the main certifications such as GHP, GMP, HACCP, ISO, FSSC, Organic, Fairtrade,ETP, Rainforest etc.
Regulations
Objective: Understand the importance of Food Safety & Certification.
Facilitator:
Mr. Upali Karunaratne
Manager Administration – Green field Bio Plantation & Former Assistant Commissioner Sri Lanka Tea Board
Experience: Over 30 years
This module explains the regulations governing the Tea industry of Sri Lanka. It also gives an overview of the functions of the Sri Lanka Tea Board and its efforts to protect and promote Ceylon Tea.
Tea & health
Objective: Know the Health benefits of tea
Facilitator:
Dr. Zayid Mohammed
Consultant & Former Director Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka
Experience: Over 30 years
This module explains the health benefits of tea alongside a scientific explanation of the properties in tea that promote the said benefits. It also explains how good manufacture helps preserve the said goodness in tea.
Marketing
Objective: Look at marketing Tea in a non traditional manner
Facilitator:
Dr. Safraz Saleem
Country Manager, The Acme Laboratories, Bangladesh
Experience: Over 30 years
This module intends persuading participants & the industry to take a different approach to marketing tea. It will look at new markets, products and ideas which will encourage sales of tea in new areas with higher value addition & profit margins. There will be a few case studies on non-tea products to see how they have been successfully marketed.
Future Trends
Objective: Get a peek at the trends in the industry
Facilitator:
Dr. Zayid Mohammed
Consultant & Former Director Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka
Experience: Over 30 years
This module will give a peek of trends in the industry and the diversions. It will give participants an idea of what could be expected with the intention of promoting creativity and encouraging innovation.
Participation Evaluation
Participants will not be burdened with examinations. However, a simple & creative project should be completed. As the number of participants are limited, evaluation of tasting & grading skills of each will be conducted in an informal manner ensuring required skills are gained during the session.
Pre Qualifications: No pre-qualifications are required. However, reasonable knowledge of English language is required as it will be the medium of lectures. Questions in other languages will be accommodated and answered in same medium when possible.