Chinese Tea Tasting & Brewing Workshop

Step into the world of Chinese tea through stories, taste and hands-on experience. If you’ve ever been curious about Chinese tea ceremony, traditional teaware or how tea is prepared and shared in China, this workshop offers a relaxed, hands-on introduction to Chinese tea tasting and traditional Chinese tea brewing.

Set inside Huntly Silk Painting Studio, surrounded by hand-painted silk artworks, this small-group workshop takes place around a traditional Chinese tea table. If you are looking for a Chinese tea workshop in Aberdeenshire, or tea tasting in Huntly, this is a relaxed, small-group place to start.

You’ll begin as a guest. Mandy will prepare and serve tea for the group while introducing some of the stories and legends surrounding tea, the key stages in the development of Chinese tea culture, and the customs and ideas that have grown around the tea table. Rather than sitting through a formal history lesson, the stories are woven naturally into the tea experience as you watch, taste and ask questions.

During the workshop, you’ll taste three different Chinese teas and discover a little about where they come from, how they are made and what gives each one its own character. You’ll begin to compare the colour of the brewed tea, aroma and flavour, the appearance of the leaves, how different teas are prepared, and some of the practical choices involved in brewing them, including water temperature.

You’ll also be introduced to traditional Chinese teaware, including the gaiwan, fairness pitcher, tasting cups and tea tools, and see how they work together when tea is prepared and shared.

From guest to host

After the demonstration and tasting, you’ll move to the tea tables in small groups and take the host’s seat yourself. Each person will have a turn preparing and serving tea to the others in their group, handling the teaware, preparing the tea, serving it and sharing the moment around the table.

The aim isn’t to perform a perfect ceremony. It is to experience Chinese tea culture in the way it makes most sense: by sitting at the table, drinking tea together, and then learning to prepare it for someone else.

This workshop is designed for complete beginners as well as people who already enjoy tea and would like to understand more about Chinese tea culture. No previous tea knowledge or specialist equipment is needed. Come on your own, with a friend, or with someone who simply enjoys trying something different.