Pays : Géorgie – Discovering Tea

This cup, shining in the morning light, is my way of wishing everyone a Happy New Year – a peaceful year in a troubled world. We all have different tastes; I wouldn’t have chosen this cup for myself. I thought it looked it a bit pretentious on its silver tray, sitting on a starched napkin. It’s not my usual taste. Then I put the tray on the bed, and the cup looked elegant and charming in the early morning sun. This was in Tbilisi, in a former printing house converted into a hotel. Each to their own cup, each to their own tea. Let’s hope there is always room for difference, for listening to others. Let’s hope we are driven more by the desire to understand than to judge. By the desire for peace. Tea connects us; tea calms us. Happy New Year 2025!

You can travel the world sourcing, tasting and analysing tea. But it’s not often you get to actually make it – to pick the leaves, roll them in your hands, spread them out to wither, and watch them oxidise until it’s time to dry them. It’s a rare opportunity for a tea connoisseur.

Here in Georgia, Nathalie, our Human Relations Manager, and Charlotte, who runs our Rue Raymond-Losserand store in Paris, are discovering the joys of making tea for themselves.

They tasted it the next day. When this photo was taken, they hadn’t yet realised quite how special the whole experience would be, how proud they would feel. It was the first time they had crafted their own tea. An unforgettable experience.