Private tea classes, customized for your group’s interests.
Tea is a beautiful way to engage with the world around us, through tapping into our senses and the language of personal expression. Tea is a pause that no one ever regrets taking.
We all recognize the sinking feeling of being busy, over-committed, checked out. We also know it’s not a feeling that supports our lasting well-being, either. The remedy to overwhelm is reconnection.
To foster this much needed time to reconnect, both at work and at play, I offer online private tea classes and experiences for groups. Accessible to wherever you are! Private tea classes and mindful experiences with tea create a restorative space to decompress from built up tension and stress. All in just one hour.
What kind of private online classes can you book with Being Tea?
I work with two main groups: organizations interested in interactive tea tasting workshops to nurture better relationships with colleagues, and businesses seeking expertly-led functional tea skills training for their staff.
We can play with a wide range of topics about tea – from developing taste vocabulary and cultural appreciation, to cultivating mindfulness and better mental health through tea.
Some ideas you might consider…
For organizations & team building sessions:
- Introduction to tea as a daily practice for self-care.
- Exploring a range of tea types and learning how to appreciate loose leaf tea.
- Tastings tailored for the season, such as cold brew teas in summer, spicy blends in winter.
- Guided meditations with tea for reducing stress and easing difficult situations
- Themed tastings and tea talks that support your meeting or event.
For businesses wanting staff tea training:
- Tea 101 comparative tasting to deepen existing tea knowledge, or start from scratch!
- Introduction to professional cupping and tasting for evaluation.
- Traditional brewing techniques and learning to work with classic teaware vs Western-style.
- Improving customer service and experience of tea in your business, through better brewing awareness and enriching staff knowledge.
These experiences are held live on Zoom, from the lovely Being Tea online studio. Everything in a private tea class happens together in real time, as a group, including the whole brewing process. We move at a relaxed pace, so attendees who are not as familiar with tea have no need to worry about falling behind.
All topics are presented in a culturally competent, mental health sensitive (ie: trauma-informed practices), and accessible manner for all levels of experience with tea. Beginners are always very welcome here! I’ll work with you closely to create a tea tasting experience that meets your group’s needs and interests.
What folks are saying about online experiences with Being Tea…
“Our organization’s Being Tea private event was exceptional. Sooz was very responsive and eager to ensure we had a great experience that met our unique needs.”
– Northwestern University Pride Alumni Club
“I don’t think many people know tea like Sooz knows Tea. Sitting with Sooz is like sitting with any artist who loves their medium enough to know it is alive.”
– Adam Grossi, yoga teacher / artist / writer
“It was a true joy to walk through the experience with you. [Jane] said she LOVED it and that it is something she wanted to do more frequently, as it was extremely rejuvenating.”
– Meta / Facebook
I’ve offered customized tea workshops for groups across the U.S.
Clients and engagements include:
Nationally (United States):
– Northwestern University
– Meta / Facebook
– Harvard Divinity School
– Penn State University
– Duke University
– Florida State University
– Greater Goods Coffee Roasters
– Northwest Tea Festival
– TeaFest PDX
– Cascadia Tea Festival
– San Jose Tea Festival
In Chicago (my home city)
– University of Illinois Chicago (Critical Care initiative)
– Tejas Yoga
– Room to Breathe
– Chicago International Tea Festival
Interested to learn more? Let’s plan your tea experience!
Please review before sending your inquiry – All of our offerings at Being Tea are online only, and that includes private classes. I do not offer in-person sessions. Private classes are also for groups only. At this time, I do not take bookings for individual 1:1 private classes for anyone outside of our member community.
This offering is specifically developed for community organizations and businesses. However, on a case by case basis – such as the holiday season – I will also consider bookings for personal events such as private parties for tea loving friends.
Let’s chat more! Contact me with your idea. You can also read our FAQ below, too.
FAQ for private classes with Being Tea
Do you offer in-person private classes or events? (click to read)
No, all of my offerings with Being Tea are online only. I do not offer anything in-person, and that includes inquiries within my home city of Chicago, IL.
That being said, there is so much we can do online together! Including groups where everyone is spread out geographically, or sharing one space together. I choose to work online because it’s an inherently inclusive medium. So let’s talk about what we could create for your group!
How long are your private classes? Are they customizable? (click to read)
Private sessions for corporate or community groups usually run 60-90 min, but this is definitely customizable. Professional tea training sessions usually run 2 hours. I wouldn’t recommend less than 60 min, as that can feel a bit rushed with tea.
What is the process for scheduling a private class? (click to read)
After sending me a message on the form with your details, we’ll chat next about scheduling, topic, number of participants, and tea. Your details need to be confirmed no less than 30 days prior to your event, so keep that in mind when reaching out. I’m generally not able to fit bookings with a week or two notice. Also good to note: I live in Chicago, U.S. Central time zone, and my hours for teaching are generally between 12pm-8pm, although I can accommodate morning sessions when needed.
Are teas included with private classes? (click to read)
Not by default, but they can be added on. Actually, my specialty is teaching BYOT (bring your own tea) classes – that’s the entire foundation of our longstanding membership program. So it’s easy to create topics that engage sensory play and skills around teas we already have, or which are easy enough to obtain.
That being said, I definitely offer classes where everyone is exploring the same set of teas together, as a communal experience. 3-4 teas are included in the box for each person to enjoy, along with a printed newsletter about the teas, and lovely brewing card.
Tea can be provided for U.S. participants only.
How much do private classes cost? (click to read)
This depends on the duration, number of attendees, and the type of the topic requested. Generally, private groups fewer than 15 people are around $250 for up to 90 min. Trainings for small businesses, such as cafes, tearooms, coffee roasters, start at $350 for up to 2 hours.
For bookings where folks are joining from separate locations, adding on tea starts at $30 per person, shipping to each attendee directly. (note: shipping is included) For bookings where attendees are joining together from one shared space, I’m able to ship teas to one address, which reduces shipping costs. The price then varies depending on the number of people; I can provide you a personal quote when I receive your event details.
Is teaware provided for private classes? (click to read)
No, I don’t provide teaware for any type of class, as I am not a retailer. I do provide a detailed but simple list of suggested items for attendees to bring to their class – all things they will likely have at home or can bring to the office.
How many participants are required for a private class? (click to read)
For social sessions, 4 is the minimum number of participants; 2 is the minimum for small business tea trainings. (recognizing that a LOT of tea businesses or cafes run on just a couple people.)
I would suggest not going over 15 participants. More than this, and the connection and conversation between everyone starts to get more distant. More like usual “work mode” vibes. And connection is one of the main reasons folks book private tastings and classes like this, after all!
ABOUT YOUR FACILITATOR :
Suzette Hammond (‘Sooz’, they/she) is a nationally-recognized, award-winning tea educator, professional skills trainer, and tea contemplative and spiritual practitioner.
Sooz is the founder of Being Tea – an online tea education-focused business offering ongoing membership community classes, an annual Tasting Box Club program, as well as a first of its kind professional Teacher Training program. Their teaching style centers on sensory-enriching adult learning, addressing knowledge accessibility and equity issues in education, and promoting tea as a practice for emotional and spiritual well-being. Her two decades of teaching experience includes working with leading tea companies, corporate clients, trade organizations and nonprofits across the U.S. and internationally.
Sooz is also a certified psychologically-sensitive yoga and meditation teacher (200-hr) through Room to Breathe. Sooz’s specialty is leading trauma-informed tea meditation for therapeutic support, and they have been offering this practice since 2010. She is also the recipient of a World Tea Award for Best Tea Educator.