STiR coffee and tea magazine

STiR coffee and tea 17 Camellia Sinensis chai bar With strong demand for quality leaf and rising sales at the last auction of the 2016/17 season, held March 21, prices rose slightly, even though more tea was on offer. In 2016, Bangladesh exported 510,000 kg of tea in 2016 (down from 550,000 kg in 2012). Main export destinations are Pakistan, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Bangladesh imports tea from India and Thailand. tion of the "New Georgian Tea 2017", and the national championship of Georgian tea masters. The brewing champion competition was held in Russian, Georgian, and English, and competition entrants demonstrated their skills in the prepara- tion and tasting of tea. The winners of the qualifying round may now take part in Tea Masters Cup International Competition 2017. Visitors to the festival had the opportunity to learn more about tea cultivation, tea ceremo- nies, and the flavor profile of different kinds of tea. Exhibiting companies offered tasting samples of a range of teas at their booths. Products were also available to purchase. A special 'Georgian tea corner' presented Georgian tea, tea cultivation, products, and tea drinking traditions. Different countries also gave performances of their national songs and dances. The festival closed with a jazz concert. INDIA Evergreen Award for Ambootia In March, in New Delhi, Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Pvt. Ltd (DOTEPL), a subsidiary of Ambootia Tea Group, received the prestigious Platinum Award in the SKOCH Evergreen Revolution Award 2017. This follows the award of the SKOCH Order of Merit Award for being in the Top-30 Evergreen projects in India. The SKOCH Awards celebrate human excellence and agents of change in Indian society and are based on the philosophy of spearheading positive socio-economic changes through recognizing persons who have contrib- uted immensely to salutary transforma- tions in society and governance by displaying exemplary leadership abilities. They are the highest independently instituted civilian honours in India which salute individuals, highlight projects, and focus institutions that go the extra mile to make India a better nation. The awards are conferred on the mighty and the ordinary alike. Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates' nomination was entitled 'Holistic Sustainability at the Tea Estates' and illustrated the following through data and photographs: innova- tive aspects of the business; biodynamic organic farming practices; holistic development of the farm and farmers; CANADA New Chai Bar Camellia Sinensis of Montréal are completing the final touches to their new Bristol Chai project. Far from their regular catalogue of premium leafy purity, they are aiming for a very different style and atmosphere with this one and the new flagship chai bar on Prince Arthur St. in Montréal will feature a very solid range of five distinct blends of tea and spice. The project brings together three elements: the groups' passion for epicurean experience and quality ingredients, the community hub of a traditional Indian chai stall, and North American coffee shop culture. The Chai bar will serve five types of chai, with three milk alternatives, and a selection of freshly baked goods from the in-house patisserie. Doors will open by June. FRANCE Kusmi Tea Celebrates 150th To mark its 150th anniversary, Kusmi Tea has launched a new tea called Karavane No. 50 packaged in a 500g gold lacquered box. It is a blend of Asian black teas and carries some of the company's history with it as it was already on the menu at Kusmi founder Pavel Kousmichoff's tea boutique 150 Original Kousmichoff boutique years ago when the company was established in St Petersburg in 1867. His tea blends were so unusual and daring that Kousmichoff even managed to win over Tsar Alexander III, but during the upheaval of the Russian Revolution, Pavel's son moved the business to Paris and gained new customers across Europe. After a quiet period during the 20th century, it was relaunched in 2003 and captured a special sector of the market with award-winning advertisements celebrat- ing 'the beauty of the blends'. There is now a palette of 90 original blends, some of which still have a very Russian character with their richly scented, spiced and citrus flavors. Since 2003, new stores have opened and the brand now has 85 shops in 35 countries and the company is focusing on Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium and will enter the Japanese market this year. To mark the passing of 150 years, Kusmi Tea is focusing on time and its importance as an ingredient in the ritual of tea drinking. "Tea is a historic drink that brings yesterday and today together for enjoyment of the present moment," according to the company. GEORGIA Tbilisi Tea Festival 2017 In April, the Tblisi Tea Festival 2017 took place in Mtatsminda Park, Central Square, Tbilisi, and featured Georgian teas and teas from other foreign producers. The festival was held under the auspices of the Georgian organic tea producers and Georgian-Chinese tea cluster and included the presenta-

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