NEW YORK, May 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- World Tea Expo, the leading tradeshow focused on advancing the business of tea, will present the World Tea Awards (#TeaAwards) from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev. The awards program – which honors some of the best and brightest from the tea industry – will take place during the conference and exposition, which will be held June 11-13 (with a pre-conference program on June 10). Registered attendees of World Tea Expo will vote to determine the winners (voting opens the week of May 13).

Samantha Hammer, the World Tea Expo event director and World Tea brand leader, said, "We're proud to recognize leading professionals, brands, products and initiatives through the annual World Tea Awards. Congratulations to all the finalists. We look forward to recognizing the achievements of these industry leaders while celebrating the tea community at large."

The 2019 World Tea Awards finalists include (winners to be announced at World Tea Expo 2019):

Best Specialty Tea Brand

• Art of Tea
• TeaSource
• Newby
• Bitaco Unique Colombian Tea
• Tiesta Tea

Best Retail Tea Shop, Café, Bar (Single Unit or Multi-unit Tea Chains)

• The Cultured Cup
• Red Blossom Tea Company
• Teatulia Tea & Coffee Bar
• Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
• Hey Hey

Best Tea Brewing Device

• The Tea Spot - Chrysalis Tea Mug
• Breville - The Tea Maker
• Qi Aerista - Smart Tea Brewer
• UppercaseTea - The Me-Pot
• Bonavita - 0.5L Mini Kettle

Best Tea Accessory: Cups, Tongs, Infusers, Tins, etc.

• Brew-in-Mug Extra-Fine Tea Infuser - FORLIFE
• TEA MAKER On the Go - SAHE Products
• Tea Box - Studio Gorm
• Bell Glass Teapot with Basket Infuser - FORLIFE

Best Tea Website

• Aiya
• Camellia Sinensis
• Verdant Tea
• Tea Forte
• Adagio
• Song Tea & Ceramics

Best Sustainability Initiative

• Agricola Himalaya S.A.
• Verdant Tea
• Harney & Sons - Recyclable Pouch
• Tinjure Tea Farmer Cooperative, Nepal
• SerendipiTea - The Small Farmers Tea Project
• Sorwathe, Rwanda

Best Tea Educator – Individual

• Bill Waddington, TeaSource
• Babette Donaldson, International Tea Sippers Society
• Katharine Burnett, UC Davis
• Brian Keating
• David Burslem, University of Aberdeen
• Sharyn Johnston, Australian Tea Masters

Best Tea Health Advocate

• Babette Donaldson, International Tea Sippers Society
• Dr. Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan
• GT Dave
• Jesse Jacobs
• Peter G.W. Keen, Author

Best Tea Publication: Book, Magazine

• Tea: Aromas and Flavors Around the World by Lydia Gautier
• World of Tea by Jane Pettigrew
• Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties - Third Edition by Kevin Gascoyne, Francois Marchand, Jasmin Desharnais & Hugo Americi
• A Thirst for Empire, How Tea Shaped the Modern World by Erika Rappaport

Best Tea Blog

• Tea in the ancient world by John Bickel
• Tea Epicure by Tony Gebely
• SororiTea Sisters
• mel had tea by Mel Hattie
• World of Tea by Tony Gebely
• Tea Geek

Overall, World Tea Expo 2019 will gather more than 3,000 international professionals from various industries, including grocery and retail, coffee and tea houses, restaurants and foodservice, hotels, manufacturers, distributors and more. Attendees will gain insights about tea and new ways their business can profit from it, in addition to discovering the latest trends and products.

To register for World Tea Expo, visit https://www.worldteaexpo.com. Follow World Tea Expo on Twitter: @worldteamedia (#WorldTeaExpo or #WTE19).

World Tea Expo 2019 sponsors include: International Tea Importers, Brew Dr. Kombucha, ITO EN, Dethlefsen & Balk, DMH Ingredients, East Indies Coffee and Tea, Rooibos Ltd., Camellia Sinensis, Finlays, Flavor Waves, Harney & Sons, Martin Bauer Group, Rishi, SerendipiTea, t-sac, and The Tea Spot.

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SOURCE World Tea Expo