World Tea Expo to Present ‘The John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award’

British Tea Taster Kevin Gascoyne and Leading Tea Expert Bruce Richardson to Host World Tea Awards on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif. At the upcoming World Tea Awards (#TeaAwards), World Tea Expo will celebrate the tea community, recognize some of the best from the industry, and present The John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors an individual who has made considerable contributions to the growth, innovation and education of the specialty tea industry throughout his or her lifetime.

The World Tea Awards will take place May 7 from 7 – 11:30 p.m. on the Queen Mary ship in Long Beach, Calif. The program is a part of World Tea Expo (#WorldTeaExpo or #WTE15), May 6 – 8, 2015 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Register for both World Tea Expo and the World Tea Awards at WorldTeaExpo.com. The World Tea Awards program was developed to showcase professionals and companies making a difference in the tea community. The evening’s formal seated dinner is followed by an entertaining awards ceremony, culminating in the presentation of The John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award, formerly named the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was re-named in 2015 to recognize the legacy of Mr. Harney, who passed away in 2014. Harney was one of tea’s most well-known professionals and a recipient of the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award. Harney founded Harney & Sons Fine Teas, and he helped demonstrate the commercial appeal of sophisticated specialty blends. During his lifetime, Harney earned the respect of traditional and specialty tea vendors worldwide as both a business executive and master blender.

The John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award is a community celebration in honor of the tea pioneers who helped fuel the market and shape the tea industry of today. The recipient of the 2015 honor will be announced during the World Tea Awards, May 7. The event will be hosted by industry notables Kevin Gascoyne and Bruce Richardson. Gascoyne is a British tea taster who has been buying tea in Asia since 1989. He started his career as a tea writer for publications in the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan. Over the years, his passion for the black teas of India spread to the plantations of many other countries. In Canada, he is one of the owners of the Camellia Sinensis Tea Houses and Tea Schools of Montreal and Quebec City. He also co-authored the prize-winning book, Tea, History, Terroirs, Varieties. And MSN calls Richardson “A leading tea expert involved in tea's American renaissance for over 23 years." The native Kentuckian is a tea blender, writer and frequent guest speaker at tea events across the country. He’s author of a dozen books on tea, including his 2011 expanded edition of the Okakura Kakuzo's classic, Book of Tea. He also collaborated with tea expert Jane Pettigrew for The New Tea Companion, and their book, A Social History of Tea. Expected to sell out to a room of 200+ tea industry influencers from around the globe, the World Tea Awards will reveal winners in several key categories (nominees have already been announced), including: Best Tea Publication; Best Social Media Reach; Best Tea Industry Website; Best Tea Business; Best Tea Blog; Best Tea Educator; Best Tea Health Advocate; Best Tea Marketing; Best Tea Industry Innovator; and Best Tea Personality. Sponsors of the 2015 World Tea Awards include: Classic Sponsors – Capital Teas and The Tea House Times, and Beginner Leaf Sponsor – TeaTime Magazine. Tickets for the World Tea Awards may be purchased at WorldTeaExpo.com or by calling 702-789-1831. Full tables of 10 may be arranged through Edie Gillette at [email protected]. Participants do not need to be a delegate of World Tea Expo to purchase a ticket to the World Tea Awards.