Luxury Hoteliers Magazine 2nd Quarter 2019 | Page 38

Founded by Tea Master Gerry Vandergrift, The Metropolitan Tea Company has been a pillar of the global tea market for decades. Backed by Metropolitan Tea, METZ is a luxury hospitality solution for hotels and resorts. For more than 10 years, the creators of METZ have been taking their tea offerings to the next level by not only providing luxury properties with exclusive, high-quality teas, but also guiding hotel staff in becoming trained tea masters or sommeliers. Like the value of a skilled barista, having a tea sommelier in-house strengthens your property’s ability to meet consumer demands and improve guest experience. The METZ Tea Masters kicked off their sommelier course by educating staff from Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. They’ve been manufacturing their exclusive label bespoke tea program since 2002 and around 2008 saw the need to start working with their clients in a more in-depth manner. 38 ILHA Throughout the years, hotel clients from across North America and the Caribbean have been invited to participate in a sponsored trip to their facility for a day- and-a-half training course covering the ins and outs of tea.