World Tea Award Winners Announced

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Fourteen new awards preceded the presentation of this year’s Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement recognition in categories that follow. George Jage, founder and director of The Beverage Group, and Gail Gastelu, publisher of the The Tea House Times, introduced winners following a tally of several thousand online ballots by attendees at the 2014 World Tea Expo. “Collectively, you are all winners,” said Gastelu, “But, tonight we honor and further recognize our peers who have risen to the top to help raise us all a little higher.” Lorna Reeves, editor, TeaTime magazine, Birmingham, Ala., shared, “It truly is an honor to accept the World Tea Award for ‘Best Tea Publication’ on behalf of the talented staff who create the photographs, recipes and prose for each issue of TeaTime. We are blessed to feature the work of contributing editors Jane Pettigrew, James Norwood Pratt and Bruce Richardson, among others. TeaTime truly is a collaborative effort. We are exceedingly grateful to those who nominated us and voted for us, as well as the tea community and World Tea Expo." "It is a huge honor to have been awarded 'Best Tea Blog' by my peers. All of the tea knowledge I've gained over the years came from discussions with my peers, countless books and studies and it's been a pleasure to learn and share via worldoftea.org," said Tony Gebely, World of Tea blog, Chicago, Ill. Best Tea Publication – TeaTime magazine Best Tea Book – TEA, History, Terroirs, Varieties' Second Edition by the Tasters of Camellia Sinensis Best Tea Social Media Reach – Elyse Petersen, Tealet Best Tea Room Website – The St. James Tearoom Best Tea Retail Website – Adagio Teas Best Tea Blog – World of Tea  Best Tea Educator – Jane Pettigrew, Tea Author and Consultant Best Tea Room Menu – Samovar Best Tea Spirit – James Norwood Pratt, Tea Author and Expert Best Tea Short or Commercial – The Tea Song (Yorkshire Tea) Best New Products Innovation – Biotre (Pacific Bag, Inc.) Tea as an Ingredient – “Ladalu Chakra” (Lumbini Tea Factory Sri Lanka) Tea Ware – “Deluxe Iced Tea Beverage System” (Takeya USA) Open Class – “Tea Pee – Prostate Support Tea” (Nuwati Herbals)