Because there is a natural storytelling urge and ability in all human beings, even just a little nurturing of this impulse can bring about astonishing and delightful results.   -Nancy Mellon, The Art of Storytelling

Another art in the world of tea is the art of telling a story. From the 5000 years of history to the unique inspiration of every tea business owner, our stories are powerful tools of the trade. Our stories help sell the beverage and help us share the spirit of the leaf.

I had the great pleasure of spending the day at An Afternoon To Remember, a tearoom in Newcastle, CA with Norwood Pratt. Owner, Amy Lawrence had made arrangements to have him present a tea tasting and talk about tea to her customers. The house was packed. As I watched the attendees, many of them new to tea, I realized that it was the stories keeping them on the edge of their seats. Norwood Pratt is well-known for his storytelling expertise. I’ve heard him speak many times and never fail to be inspired as he speaks so eloquently and passionately about tea - and the people who produce it. But on this day he said something new and spoke to a concern that I’ve had since I began my life in tea.

We do not have our own unique cultural tea story. I’ve sometimes felt like a voyeur, imitating the gestures and ceremony of other ancient tea traditions. I’ve wondered if people from other countries look at us as frauds when we imitate - or if they appreciate us honoring their stories. As we drink the teas, we share the culture and history of people around the world. We are able to taste that history filtered through the fresh leaves of ancient plants. We appreciate the women who picked by hand and the men who craft the finished leaf. We savor the magical legends. In the tea cultures, it is consumed at such a young age and accepted as such an integral part of daily life, that the choice is not made to be a tea drinker or not. Who in the tea producing cultures remembers the first time they tasted tea?

People are hungry for stories. It’s part of our very being.   Storytelling is a form of history, of immortality too. It goes from one generation to another.        - Studs Terkel

Our storytelling tradition in the United States is developing much differently.

Amy Lawrence began the  tea tasting by telling her own personal story. That is what we all do. How did you come to tea? When did you first discover the joy of beautiful, artisan teas? What was your experience with the leaf that ignited this passion? Amy told of the first time she heard Norwood speak at one of the early Expos. And it was an experience she and I shared. Norwood Pratt’s courage to share his passion for tea has inspired thousands of us. Have you noticed that when tea professionals gather, we tend to share memories from past Expos when we first met the growers and the importers face-to-face - or - when we toured the plantations together - or - when we attended other kinds of hosted events.

We have been discovering specialty tea as adults. So our stories are based on relatively recent personal experience. Norwood mentioned that one of the real treasures of tea in the US is that we do embrace and celebrate the worldwide culture of tea. Because we lack that single identity, we enjoy a greater freedom to explore. We share the memories of our first loose leaf experience, but also the inspiration that led us to become a tea professional. And now I delight in the fact that my relationship with tea was not the product of habit. When we introduce newcomers to tea we are storytellers. I suggest that it is a skill everyone in the business should develop. It may be the ability to tell the story of tea and our own personal stories of how we are inspired by it that become our greatest asset in this difficult financial time. And it is in gatherings of other tea people that we learn to tell our stories with skill. Whether we are importers, retailers, educators, sales reps, tour planners, sommeliers or serve some other role in the business world of tea, we are all storytellers. 

People have forgotten how to tell a story. Stories don’t have a middle or an end anymore. They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning.       -  Steven Spielberg

In George Jage’s last WTN Blog he spoke about the tea industry remaining strong through recession. We have stories of this being true during the world’s previous wars - political and economic. The tales of our grandmother’s teapots serving up a spot of comfort in the afternoon are bringing people back to tea. It is an affordable memory we can create with our children when we are forced to eliminate other attractions. It may be our stories that keep our industry viable when others fail. 

What happened at An Afternoon To Remember last week is something that is happening in tearooms across the country and could be happening more as more tea professionals become storytellers. As the popularity of tea grows, new consumers are using the online search tools and directories to fine tea experiences. They want to be guided through this maze of information. They want to be inspired by our stories. Some might say that we owe it to the spirit of tea to become good stewards of its message.

I can hear the groans of overworked tearoom owners - no, not something else! But if it was the stories that lured us all to the world of tea isn’t that what also sustains us? Was it the stories we read in books or the ones told in person that we most remember?

There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you.     -  Maya Angelou

Learning to tell a good story isn’t difficult. Much of it is imitation and the rest is practice. For instance, when we gather at tea events like the World Tea Expo we may be shopping for new products and good deals but we are also learning how to re-create the experience for our customers. In tastings, workshops, in the exhibit hall and informally as we gather, we are soaking up the stories that will become tea events for the folks back home. 

We are blessed to have many talented storytellers who are passionate about tea. But I believe that everyone has a great personal story to tell - and a growing collection of tea history stories to tell.

One of my newest stories is “The Puppy Tea Party”.

But that’s an blog for a different day.

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