Tetley tea tasters: what does a full time tea taster do, how much can you earn and how to apply for dream job

The tea brand says the successful candidates will taste up to 300 teas per day
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The UK is often characterised as being a country of tea lovers.

Indeed, the tea industry trade body - the UK Tea & Infusions Association - reckons 100 million cuppas are served up in the UK alone every single day of the year.

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But imagine if you could turn your love of the hot drink into a full-time career.

Well, thanks to tea brand Tetley, you can.

The tea giant has announced it is on the hunt for two tea aficionados to fill the dream job role of full-time tea taster.

So, what exactly does a professional tea taster do - and how can you apply for the role Tetley is offering?

Here’s what you need to know.

The UK’s tea industry trade body says 100 million cuppas are drunk in the UK each and every day (image: Shutterstock)The UK’s tea industry trade body says 100 million cuppas are drunk in the UK each and every day (image: Shutterstock)
The UK’s tea industry trade body says 100 million cuppas are drunk in the UK each and every day (image: Shutterstock)

What does a tea taster do?

The first thing to know is that the official name of the Tetley role on offer is ‘graduate tea buyer’.

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So, while tasting is a key part of the job, it will also involve learning about how the tea supply chain works from “bush to cup”, Tetley says.

The tasting aspect of the role will see the successful candidates sample up to 300 teas per day en route to becoming “a qualified cuppa connoisseur”.

Tetley says it will train up the lucky tea lovers to develop a palate that recognises subtle hints and flavours in each cup.

It’s a serious business at the 184-year-old firm - in 2017, it insured the tastebuds of its master blender Sebastian Michaelis for £1m.

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“Tea tasting is a fine art which takes years to master - much like a wine sommelier,” Tetley says.

“10,000 hours of training across 450 skills need to be completed to be considered an expert, and that’s what we’re offering.”

Once they have been armed with tasting expertise, the successful candidates will then have the opportunity to travel to tea growing regions to build relationships with suppliers and learn how tea manufacturing works.

But while the tea taster will get to indulge in their passion, the job isn’t all about drinking tea and globetrotting.

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The job advert says the successful candidates will have to do admin work, help forecast future tea trends and negotiate contracts, as well as learn about cost and stock management.

Successful candidates will taste up to 300 teas per day, Tetley says (image: Shutterstock)Successful candidates will taste up to 300 teas per day, Tetley says (image: Shutterstock)
Successful candidates will taste up to 300 teas per day, Tetley says (image: Shutterstock)

How do you apply for the Tetley role?

If the promise of admin hasn’t scared you off, then it might be worth putting an application together.

As well as having a passion for tea, Tetley has stipulated some additional requirements for the role.

Applicants will need to have at least a 2:2 degree-level qualification and must also have strong analytical skills, a “natural tendency for attention to detail”, strong planning, time management and organisational skills and should also be good with numbers.

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They will also need to be strong communicators with “cultural and commercial awareness”, who work well under pressure.

The role will be London based and, while it doesn’t carry a specific annual salary, is said to offer competitive pay.

If this still sounds like you, you can find the job advert on the Graduate Recruitment Bureau website.

But be quick - the deadline for applications is 5 November.

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