Who is Karl Kessab? The World's First Tea Sommelier

Flipping through the September/October's issue of Hotel Dining, the supplement to HOTELS and Plate magazines, I read about a tea sommelier. Tea Sommelier? We all know that traditional wine sommeliers are experts in the field of wine, so why not have a tea sommelier to assist guests in the art of tea service? The Lanesborough in London has the one person to guide anyone in selecting just the right tea for any occasion. Karl Kessab is the tea sommelier there, and in 2003 he was appointed as the world's first tea sommelier through the United Kingdom Tea Council.

The famous Lanesbourough has been awarded with the UK Tea Council's Award of Excellence three years in a row (2009, 2010, and 2011), so Kessab must know a thing or two about tea service.

The idea of tea sommelier is romantic to me. Here are resources and people related to tea::

• UK Tea Council: Behind the Scenes with the UK's First Tea Sommelier
• Chris Cason: Tea Sommelier to Tavalon Tea
• Tea Association of Canada: Typical Course for Tea Sommeliers
• Edumolinanfossi.blog.com: Quest for Tea Sommelier
• Jeffrey Hattrick: Tea Maitre d' at the Ritz-Carlton Pheonix

More Info:
Afternoon Tea at The Lanesborough Hotel in London

Image Credit: Morguefile