STiR coffee and tea magazine

18 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 3, 2017 (June/July) positive impact on the livelihood of the 65,176 people living on the farms that supply the company; challenges faced; and benefits and learnings. Sanjay Bansal, chairman of Amboo- tia Group said "We dedicate this award to the 10,427 people in the company and their families, our investors, partners, clients and board of directors. Thank you all for the unending support, best wishes, and faith bestowed in the company, without which, this recogni- tion and our achievements, would not have been possible." KENYA East African Showcase The 3rd African Tea Convention, which took place in Nairobi in mid May, highlighted the importance of East African teas in the global tea market. Kenya currently ranks as the top tea producer in Africa and third in the world, after China and India, with an output of 400,000 metric tons (m.t.) in 2015. In operation since 1957, the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) tea auction in Mombasa remains the largest in the world, with almost 360,000 m.t. of tea sold in 2015, followed by Colombo, Sri Lanka, with a sales volume of 317,000 m.t. in 2015. The members of EATTA are Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. The African tea market is strongly upgrading its profile, with consumption increasing steadily in the northern part of the continent, and the increasing production of orthodox teas, whilst CTC output continues to represent the biggest share of world tea exports. The Nairobi convention chose the motto "Sustainable tea farming - an inspiring future for nature, health, and rewarding livelihoods", focusing on the tea industry's serious concerns about ever-rising production costs, the need to ensure appropriate earnings for smallholder farmers, and the threats of climate change. The convention also offered a useful platform for discussions on continuing shifts in the tea market during recent years, with China supplying 43% of the global tea production today, the switch amongst traditional tea consumers in the UK and Russia to coffee, the reduction in export availability due to rising domestic consumption in producing countries, and the introduction of new trade routes and skills by new operators. The convention's adjacent tea expo highlighted the quality of African teas and showcased the growing number of crafted specialty teas from Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. SWITZERLAND Tea Lovers in the Alps The Swiss Tea Club is the country's association for tea lovers, and is the only such organization in a German speaking country. Tea lovers naturally develop a dedication to the Far East and to the countries that produce tea and have a heritage of amazing tea cultures. The club sees part of its mission as bridging Eastern and Western cultures and it is therefore no surprise that, earlier this year, a group of club members celebrat- ed the New Year of The Cock at Switzerland's highest rated Chinese restaurant with excellent food from chief cook Mister Luo. Two young Swiss musicians, Nianqiu Farkas and Sandro Muller, played traditional Chinese tunes on the Erhu harp and the Guzheng, the Chinese zither. They created a celebratory ambiance for the event, but the most important role was played by tea. Top quality harvests, such as Anji Bai Cha and Long Jing greens, and Qi Lan and Da Hong Pao oolongs delighted the 30 tea lovers with their fantastic aromas and complex flavours. In April, the club visited Thé Santé in Martigny, close to the Matterhorn in Martigny, a town that lies in the French part of the Swiss canton of Valais amongst Alpine peaks that rise to 12,000 feet. Philippe Bonnet of Thé Santé welcomed the group in his lovely tea shop before they headed off to a local wine maker and a chocolatier. The club has also recently announced its upcom- ing visit to Japan, guided by one of Europe's foremost experts in Japanese teas, Thomas Grömer of Kissa Tea in Vienna. The trip will take participants to a new generation of organic tea farmers, state-of-the-art factories, and to the spiritual tea places in Kyoto. UK/US Twinings Beauty and the Beast Twinings, the UK's best known and oldest tea company, has introduced a special edition of Beauty and The Beast packaging in the US to coincide with the release of the Disney film. The special edition Beauty and the Beast packaging designs feature much-loved characters, including Belle, Beast, Mrs. Potts and Chip. They appear on four Twinings herbal blends: lemon & ginger; pure peppermint; orange & cinnamon spice; and camomile, honey & vanilla. Stephen Twining, 10th generation of the Twining family said "At Twinings, we've been serving our guests with exceptional tea moments for more than 300 years, and we're excited to join in celebrating a classic tale that has also Order of Merit to Ambootia TE Transporting tea in Kenya Sandro Muller, left, and Nianqiu Farkas

• Cover