Toronto Tea Festival 2025
Speakers
Speech Topic: Sacred Connections: Indigenous Knowledge and Tea. A perfect blend.
This presentation will cover indigenous relationships to the land, fauna and flora and their cultural connection to “Teas”. How Kebaonish, a partnership towards economic reconciliation, has translated the anishinaabe Seven grandfather teachings into a range of modern day teas.
How a deep understanding and connection of and with the land by indigenous peoples was a pre-historical sustainability platform that is as, if not more, relevant today when modern teachings have failed us.
The territory of the Dish with One Spoon recognizes plants not only as living beings but also as wise ambassadors and philosophers of the land, having witnessed the passage of time. They carry stories and wisdom from their ancestral lands, nurturing relationships that have flourished for thousands of years. These plants embody a deep understanding of the intricate bonds between people, places, and their plant and animal relatives.
Throughout the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt treaty lands in southern Ontario, the Haudenosaunee and Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg peoples uphold sacred protocols for gathering plants for tea. Their teachings demonstrate that harvesting begins with tobacco offerings and prayers to acknowledge the spirit of the plant. This practice honours our reciprocal covenant with Mother Earth.
As honoured plant relatives and teachers, they generously share knowledge of healing and guide us in sustaining our communities through their medicinal gifts. Over time, the ceremonial sharing of tea has evolved into a living expression of our ancient treaty relationships, bringing people together in circles of wellness and community. This way, traditional ecological knowledge informs our sustainable relationships with the land, building upon a sacred philosophy deeply engrained in local ecologies.
Compressing 35 years of tea knowledge into relevant sound “sips”
Speech Topic: ConnectiviTEA: Tea Lovers Unite!
Participants will be welcomed.
Traci will provide an overview (inviting some audience participation) about tea and how it can connect us to ourselves, to nature, and to others. We’ll discuss the focus for today–to others.
Traci will share the guidelines for participation–emphasizing comfort of participants and their ability to reject/choose from the prompts shared. All participants in a group, for example, must consent to a discussion prompt in order for the group to use it, etc. (The prompts aren’t generally controversial, but some–like drawing on family background drinking tea–could be sensitive to some participants.)
Traci will lead a short grounding practice, using a tea metaphor, to help people feel calmer.
Traci will divide participants into groups of people, encouraging them to group with people they don’t know or that they barely know–usually groups of three, but with some flexibility for size of audience. She’ll explain the format.
Prompt cards will be shared with each group. Groups will be invited to choose and rank the top three prompts they would like to use. Then, they’ll be guided to start by discussing their first choice. After a certain amount of time, they’ll be encouraged to move to their second choice. Depending on how long the groups are taking, we’ll either move to the third prompt or go straight to the closing part.
Everyone will rejoin together. Participants will be invited to share experiences, thoughts, and questions.
We’ll close with a short, guided graTEAtude practice.
Speech Topic: 5 Teas from Garden to Cup
Venture into the enchanting world of tea, where every cup tells a tale of distant lands and traditions steeped in time. Through vivid imagery and the artistry of taste, Shabnam Weber, President of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada, will guide you on a sensory voyage. Experience the vibrant hues, delicate aromas, and intricate flavors of five exquisite teas, each a whisper from a different corner of the earth.
Shabnam Weber has dedicated over 25 years to the tea industry, starting with her own innovative tea company in Toronto. Her passion for tea led her to join the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada, where she developed the Tea Sommelier® program. Since becoming President in 2018, Shabnam has transformed the association into a global industry leader. She is the Canadian representative and Vice-Chair of the UN FAO’s Intergovernmental Group on Tea, actively contributing to key working groups and co-founder of the International Alliance of Women in Tea. With a focus on diversity and a sustainable global tea community, Shabnam is committed to advancing the industry through collaboration and fostering meaningful connections.
Speech Topic: What you need to know before you visit China’s tea Gardens
You love tea, you’ve heard of the tea regions all over China, you’ve seen the pictures, and you’ve tasted the tea. Maybe you’re feeling ready to head into the field, or maybe you’re wondering if you are ready. In this talk, we will share with you some of the most valuable things we have learned about tea travel in China including a few tidbits that you might not have considered. We hope to make your first China Tea Trip as smooth as butter!
– Why visit tea regions? Clear mindset, clear goal, smoother trip
– “I’m aware that China is very different compared to Canada.” “Different” might be an understatement.
– The magic behind the scene. Maximize your tea learning through tasting.
Phil Rushworth became a Chinese Tea professional after being happily thrust into the tea business in 2014 when he and his wife, Zhen, create ZhenTea. Starting with zero knowledge about tea, Phil is being rapidly educated by Zhen and her mother Jianli who is the author of 6 books on Chinese tea and has over 2 decades working with tasting grade, fine Chinese tea. Phil has met with expert producers and farmers all over China and combines his ‘behind the scenes’ access with his western perspective to share what can seem like arcane knowledge in a way that is down to earth, relatable and possibly even fun.
Speech Topic: My Journey of Japanese White Tea
My talk is about my journey into the world of tea.
There is also a Q&A portion, leaves on display and I was thinking of finding a way to sample a little of the tea.
I’m a tea lover that’s thirst for new experience lead me to source tea for myself and eventually as a store. Japanese tea was something I was hesitant about and didn’t find connections for years. After years of searching I found a Japanese farmer who was very inventive and experimental. One day the thought emerged “is there white tea in Japan?” The producer and I began on collaborating to make a white tea, at first test batches were sent and I would taste and discuss what’s good and what could be better. Benifuki white tea was born and I began to learn that it was an exceptional tea that has a lot of potential for the tea industry in Japan.
British tea taster Kevin Gascoyne has spent every Spring in Asia as a buyer for 30 years. Taster/co-owner of Camellia Sinensis, his catalogue has gained World renown. Award-winning writer, he lectures all over the planet, runs 2 tea schools, workshops, conferences, field consulting, trade development and seminars. Co-Founder of the Tea Studio, Director of the Canadian Tea Association and Tea Masters Cup Canada. Aside from his obsessive quest for Darjeeling’s finest leaf, he has a passion for shop keeping in his stores. According to his colleagues his daily tea consumption compares to the flow of some small rivers.
SESSION INFO: An Inside View of the Tea Studio Project
The Tea Studio project, in India’s Nilgiri Hills, was founded by an international group of tea professionals back in 2015 and has produced tea since 2017. In that short time, they have received attention World-wide for their innovative approach to environmental power, socio-economic development as well as their state-of-the-art artisanal tea-making. Co-founder and director, Kevin Gascoyne, gives us a video tour of the Tea Studio followed by a Q&A session to introduce this new approach to tea manufacture and how it evolved in reaction to developing markets, struggling social structures and environmental necessity. Essential learning for all tea enthusiasts. (teastudio.info)
Speech Topic: Regenerative Tea Farming
What is Regenerative Tea farming
Overview of landscape – key organisations, certifications and definitions
What Opportunities exist for farmers and the tea value chain
Key Challenges (cost, lead times, technology)
Success example from inside and outside our farmer network
Next steps – A project to Accelerate climate & nature action for the tea sector
Speech Topic: Differences Between Tea and Wine
Edward Qu is both a tea sommelier and an oenologist (specialist in the science and craft of winemaking), and is known as an educator in tea culture and wine production.
At Niagara College Teaching Winery, he manages the winery lab and winemaking projects. He teaches Vineyard Management courses and assists with a variety of courses relating to winemaking, including sensory evaluation, wine chemistry, lab analysis, etc. Concurrently, he is the wine educator for Southbrook Vineyards (Biodynamic/Organic Certified) in Niagara-on-the-Lake. He is also WSET Diploma candidate.
Edward’s journey into wine began with a profound passion for tea culture. He holds the prestigious designations of Advanced Sommelier of Chinese Tea and Advanced Tea Critic in China, experiences that have taken him across China, Sri Lanka, and Nepal in pursuit of tea mastery. After relocating to Canada in 2017, Edward has become a prominent figure in tea education, leading events at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Brock University, Niagara College, and the Toronto and London Tea Festivals.
Through SIMILARMINDSTASTING, Edward bridges the worlds of tea and wine by curating sensory-focused tasting experiences that highlight their unique and shared qualities. He also leads intimate tea tours in China, offering participants a rare opportunity to explore the country’s rich tea culture through his extensive connections and expertise.
Speech topic: Tasseomancy: The Art of Telling Futures and Fortunes Using the Tea Leaves.
Tea is steeped in history and a healthy smattering of superstition, and reading fortunes with it hearkens back to days of the old divinatory art forms of the Geomancy; interpreting symbols and formations made by random objects. Tasseomancy (tea leaf reading) is the Art and Practice of divination by the interpretation of symbolic patterns made by tea leaves in a teacup. Join Amy as she talks about how this form of divination came to be the Art it is today. She will cover its rich history, mystery and origins, the tools used and the forms it is done in. This presentation is an interactive, fun and informative session and is open to all ages!
About Amy Lou Taylor; For 30+ years Amy has been a Tea Enthusiast and a professional Tea Leaf and Card Reader. She is the sole owner of TAOTAT’s Mystic Tea & Brooms, est. 2009. Amy is a Certified TAC Tea Sommelier Professional, Tea Educator and Broomsquire. She also was a contributing writer for the Tea and Herb Association of Canada’s Herbal Modules for TAC Certified Tea Sommelier courses. Amy has contributed to many magazines, media outlets and blogs as an authority on Tasseomancy (however she feels she is always learn more about the Art) and is also in the process writing two books about the mystical side of tea. Find her on the web at www.taotat.ca.
Speech Topic: Discover the art of Canadian teas
Come meet the craftman behind this little revolution who will present his local green, Wulong and black teas made from Canadian wild plants. He will share with you his passion, techniques, traveling stories and much more.
Julien Drouin-Bouffard is the owner of Tea of the North company and producer of the first Canadian teas. He has managed the production of those teas for 6 years now, learning from scratch and building knowledge through reading books, watching videos and trial and error. The fireweed wild leaves are foraged by hand in Quebec’s wild meadows. At the factory, they are processed using the same techniques used in Asia with the same tea specialized machines imported from China to create those unique local caffeine-free teas.
Julien has traveled in Taiwan in spring 2023 and in China in spring 2024 to learn from tea masters. He was literally infused into this inspiring tea culture and met an incredibly welcoming people. He brought this flame back with him in his luggage to spread it through his tea production and experimentation.
Curious by nature, he is a self-taught enthusiast of our ecological and social transition.
Speech topic: The Art of Tea: Shizuoka’s Guardians of Tradition
A Documentary on Three Japanese Green Tea Farmers from Shizuoka
Presented by Chaoi Project
The Chaoi Project—“Cha Open Innovation”—is an initiative by the Shizuoka government in Japan to spotlight and support local tea farmers while driving innovation in the tea industry. This year, Hokusan Tea Canada has partnered with three Shizuoka tea farmers to create a documentary series showcasing their tea, farms, histories, and challenges. The documentaries are currently being translated, and we are thrilled to propose the Toronto Tea Festival 2025 as the first public screening of this inspiring series.
Rikko Osaki is the founder of Hokusan Tea Canada, a premium wholesaler of Japanese green tea, specializing in matcha. Hokusan has been awarded Best Japanese Green Tea for three consecutive years, highlighting its dedication to quality. In 2021, Rikko trained as a tea farmer at a 450-year-old heritage tea farm in Japan, grounding her in the art of green tea cultivation. She is passionate about inspiring Canadians to embrace mindfulness through Japanese tea culture, while educating on the sustainability and benefits of this rich industry. Rikko’s mission is to share the vibrant traditions and promising future of green tea.