The 2023 World Tea Conference + Expo, North America’s leading tea event focused on the business of tea, will feature the must-attend Ri Ra Tea Experience with Henrietta Lovell of Rare Tea Company and Chef and Baker Richard Hart of Hart Bageri.
World Tea Conference + Expo will take place March 27-29, 2023, in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center, co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Registration for the event, as well as the Ri Ra Tea Experience, is available at WorldTeaExpo.com.
The Ri Ra Tea Experience will merge fine tea and food pairings at an authentic Irish pub – the Rí Rá Irish Pub in Las Vegas – and it’s guaranteed to be an afternoon to remember.
Participants will join Henrietta Lovell, famously known as the “Tea Lady” with her company, Rare Tea Company, and Richard Hart, a passionate and well-known chef and baker with Hart Bageri, on this exciting tea journey.
Lovell and Hart will meld their backgrounds of fine dining and tea into a lively activity and tasting.
The experience will take place on Monday, March 27 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. during the conference and expo, and it’ll take place off-site at Ri Ra Irish Pub at Mandalay Place (transportation will be provided from the Las Vegas Convention Center).
The experience is an add-on ticket at US$150 (it can be added-on to any World Tea registration pass). Seats will be limited for the program and will sell out before the event.
World Tea News spoke with Lovell about her participation in the upcoming World Tea Conference + Expo, as well as the Ri Ra Tea Experience. Here’s what she had to say.
Question: Why are you excited about the upcoming World Tea Conference + Expo?
Answer: This is my first trip to the Expo. I am so grateful to be invited and to be a given a voice to speak. In addition to the Ri Ra Tea Experience, I’ll be a part of a panel discussing low wages and their impact on global tea communities. The most critical element, I believe, is how do we change things – the positive ways we can all be part of real systemic change. I have such faith and hope that together we can change the tea world for the better.
Question: What are you looking forward to the most at this year’s event?
Answer: Meeting and learning with and from the wider tea community. There is always so much more to learn, perspectives to understand and minds to change.
Question: What can attendees expect at the Ri Ra Tea Experience during the conference?
Answer: First and foremost, the chance to taste some teas from Satemwa Tea & Coffee Estate, in Malawi, East Africa. Indeed, some of their most prized tea, made to perfection by my team, who are traveling all the way from London to make sure every sip is spot on. The teas will be paired with dishes from the Ri Ra kitchen. While we enjoy the feast of afternoon tea, I will talk about some of the myths and legends surrounding afternoon tea. And I’ll share some of my adventures in creating afternoon tea experiences around the world, from Shanghai to London.
Question: What will Richard Hart bring to the table with this tea experience?
Answer: Richard will bring his inimitable charm and deep tea love. He will explain how his first taste of the teas from Satemwa changed his world. And he’ll offer us a chef and baker’s perspective on the importance of pairing the food served with the tea – an essential part of the afternoon tea experience, yet so often overlooked.
Question: Will there be any surprises at the Ri Ra event?
Answer: Well, that might rather spoil the surprise. But, we have a special guest. Wouter Verelst will be there to represent Satemwa Tea & Coffee Estate, where all the teas served will be from. The farm is celebrating 100 years in tea this year.
Question: Why are you so passionate about tea?
Answer: I am passionate about tea because it can be the most sublime drink, one of the most delicious parts of our lives. But my passion is intertwined with the people who grow and craft it. I started traveling the world to find, meet and work with the people who make the most delicious tea, gosh, way back in the last century. I started Rare Tea Company in 2004. I have devoted my life to celebrating these skilled men and women, and to finding their incredible leaves a route to market.
We are all connected to the people who craft our tea, with every sip we take. Tea is not just a commodity bought from a broker. It’s not just a bag on a supermarket shelf. Tea is a harvest and a craft. The best tea is made by skilled men and women whose lives and livelihoods depend on it. It is my most fervent desire that we all champion not just tea, but the communities who grow and craft it.
If you have questions regarding registration for the World Tea Conference + Expo or the Ri Ra Tea Experience at the event, call +1-774-247-4040 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, or email [email protected].
Plan to Attend or Participate in the
World Tea Conference + Expo, March 27-29, 2023
To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 27-29, 2023 in Las Vegas, co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the World Tea Conference + Expo, or to enquire about advertising and sponsorship opportunities at World Tea News, contact:
Ellainy Karaboitis-Christopoulos
Business Development Manager, Questex
Phone: +1-212-895-8493
Email: [email protected]
Also, be sure to stay connected with the World Tea Conference + Expo on social media for details and insights about the event. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.