Dr. Janet Walsh seems to have been one of Nashville’s best-kept secrets and definitely an invaluable Music City, U.S.A. gem. This beautiful peace magnet takes ‘tea time’ to a whole other level. Many faithful and serious coffee drinkers have met her and fallen under her ‘tea time’ tasty, educational tea spell. How about a splash of back-story to wet your pallets? Imagine some of the most beautiful teacups found around the world and made into other things.
“Oh yes, people actually drink from some of the captivating, decorative cups as well,” said the tea expert, Dr. Walsh.
Janet Walsh, tea aficionado and ‘tea-vangelist’ believes that wellness, harmony, and community come to pass with the simple art of tea. As a tea enthusiast, she has traveled across the country and the world, exploring tea culture and its benefits. Her exploration of fare, beverage infusions, and hospitality has included extensive tours of 46 states in the U.S., and trips to Canada, Asia, Europe, and South America. As an educator and librarian, books, travel, and tea have opened a world of adventure and interest in societal activities that include communal meals, culinary rituals, and cultural communication.
Long before her quest for tea began, her first expansion of an existing blend had a simple objective: impress someone that she had a crush on. She scoured the recipes books, mixed flavors, and shared her weekly concoction at a Sunday supper club with friends. These ‘guin-tea-pigs’ sat, sipped, and savored each blend until she finally found herself making tea for dinner parties of 25 to wedding parties of 600.
Dr. Walsh observed that the more people sat down and had tea, the more conversation, interaction, and communal connections began to occur. As a traveling professional for many years, she also led and overcame sales objections faster when both clients and customers would share over tea. She tested similar theories in different cities, states, and countries, and watched people come together over tea—despite religion, age, opinion, or political affiliation.
Instantly, she made it a point to incorporate tea into routine and structured events in her professional and personal life. She has watched college students easily share and recite British literature over tea, and has seen more efficient library research time after a short afternoon tea break. Conversely, watching loved ones in conflict have the courage to sit and be open to listening or resolution over tea has helped her facilitate tea time for conflict resolution and the couple’s tea ceremony.
For the past 15 years, she has brewed, researched, sampled, traveled and incorporated many facets of the tea industry. Local, national, and international tea suppliers provide a rich experience for her new and long standing devotees. In-depth tea trainings, tutorials, tea events, tea parties, and local beverage services give her a unique platform to share the physical, social, and mental benefits of tea. Rarely is any blend, event, tea party, customized tea bag, or tea ceremony the same.
As tea is the second most consumed beverage, Walsh has been invited to many traditional avenues, but uses tea as the main ingredient. Her most exciting events include serving as a tea tender (tea bartender equivalent) with a full array of different teas and flavors to appease guests. Custom tea bags, blends, and bottles have added the specialty touch to personal, corporate, and social events. Adding 15 minutes of sitting, supping, and savoring a cup of tea per day can have exceptional benefits on mental, physical, and social health.
Additional tea training, education, and certification are ongoing from the American Tea Masters Association, The Tea Association of the USA, and The World Tea Institute. Tea-Tea and Company specializes in tea bottling and distribution, at home party planning, and co-branding of products and private labels. Stay tuned, much more ‘tea greatness’ and educational endeavors are to come in 2017.
For more information, visit the official website at www.teateaandcompany.com
