David Veal - 229 - Alain Elkann Interviews

EDUCATING THE CONSUMER ABOUT COFFEE AND TEA. DAVID VEAL has been deeply involved in both the coffee industry and the tea industry for over 40 years. He is the former Executive Director of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe and is currently Executive Director of The European Speciality Tea Association, a position he took up in May 2019. “There is a commonality between tea and coffee, and that is education.” “We’re all about promoting speciality tea and fostering a speciality tea community worldwide.” “The path that speciality tea is taking is similar to the one that speciality coffee took, but about 20 to 30 years behind.” • David Veal has over 42 years of experience in the coffee and tea industries, initially working in the coffee sector and later becoming the executive director of the European Speciality Tea Association. • Coffee originated in Ethiopia and spread to other regions like Indonesia, India, and Brazil. There are two main varieties of commercially grown coffee - robusta and arabica, with arabica being the higher quality. • The coffee industry has seen a cultural revival in recent decades, with the rise of coffee shop chains like Starbucks making coffee a more sophisticated and social drink. • Tea has a much longer history, with origins in China thousands of years ago. It is deeply ingrained in the cultures of countries like China, India, and the UK, where it is a popular daily beverage. • The tea industry faces challenges similar to coffee, with a divide between mass-market, low-quality tea and the speciality, high-quality tea market. Factors like climate change and an ageing workforce are also impacting tea production. • Proper brewing methods, water quality, and education about the nuances of different teas and coffees are important for consumers to appreciate the full flavour profiles of these beverages. • Overall, both the coffee and tea industries are evolving, with the speciality and premium segments offering opportunities for growth and appreciation of these complex and culturally significant commodities.