“There’s more than just learning how
to taste tea,” explains Tea Master Al
Cardenas. “We do blind evaluations and
have a blending component.”
“Each person has to make and present
a blend, describing what that their
motivation was behind it which covers
a bit of marketing,” says Cardenas.
“There’s also an open forum where we do
group discussions and provide solutions
for challenges at the hotel-level.”
The Tea Masters at METZ focus on
training managerial staff that can
implement change at the property
level. By focusing on higher level staff
versus front-of-house staff – which
traditionally experience higher turnover
rates – these employees can return
to their properties and train multiple
departments to deliver an experience
that is unique, educational and fun for
guests.
These team members must complete
a 5-hour online curriculum prior to
attending the in-person seminar. The
online course is made up of videos,
reading material, and questionnaires
that cover the fundamentals of tea and
manufacturing techniques, making sure
that everyone comes to the seminar with
the same level of knowledge.
“It’s a fairly accelerated course so
we don’t have time to tell people, for
example, that green tea and black tea
come from the same plant. For a lot of
people that’s a pretty a-ha moment,”
laughs Cardenas.
The focus of the training when they
arrive at METZ is getting into the nitty-
gritty of what it is to be a tea sommelier.
“That’s learning how to taste tea,
understanding terroir, diving a little
deeper into different manufacturing
processes, but also understanding what
we as a supplier do to ensure the quality
and the food safety of their products,”
says Cardenas.
Guests receive a tour of the property
which features a state of the art,
100,000 sq. ft. solar array on their
rooftop – a part of METZ’z commitment
to reduce and offset carbon emissions.
“This is one of the behind the scenes part
they get to see of how their tea comes
to market,” says Cardenas.
METZ upholds a mission to provide
luxury teas to their global customer
base, to stand up for social justice in the
regions they visit, and to promote ethical
environmental practices on the farms
they buy from.
Founder and President, Gerry
Vandergrift has been tea trading
for over 4 decades. METZ’z general
manager, lovingly referred to as
“Professor Pekoe,” comes from a
lineage of tea tasters and has been in
the business for 40 years. All team
members are highly skilled Tea Masters
with first-hand experience visiting
with suppliers and growers at various
tea plantations. They have different
backgrounds in fields such as luxury
marketing, sales, commodities training,
and more.
Having that type of expertise behind
your staff’s training — coupled with
a luxury tea supplier that provides
blends you can’t find in supermarkets
or online retailers – is a smart way to
elevate your hotel’s beverage offerings
and contribute to personalization and
brand awareness.
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