Customized Group Experiences
Private Tea Classes
Tea experiences, customized for your group!
I offer online tea classes and tasting sessions for private groups, including organizations, corporate team building, and small businesses. 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 in our daily life. A time to foster reconnection, in both work and play, all in just one hour.
You might be wondering… why tea?
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 this overwhelm is reconnection.
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.
Who can book private group classes with Being Tea?
I work in two areas for private bookings:
Anything from developing tasting vocabulary and cultural appreciation, to cultivating mindfulness and better mental health through tea.
Some ideas we can explore…
For organizations and team-building sessions:
For small businesses needing staff tea training:
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.
Beginners are always welcome here! I’ll work with you closely to create a tea tasting experience that meets your group’s needs and interests.
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.
What folks say about collaborating 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
Organizations I’ve worked with for private online classes:
Chicago, my home city
U.S. National
Interested to learn more?
Our private class 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! Contact me with your idea. You can also read our FAQ below, too.
Please note: All of my programs and workshops are online only. I am unavailable for in-person workshops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about booking private classes with Being Tea.
Do you offer in-person private classes or events?
No, all of my offerings with Being Tea are online only. I do not offer anything in-person. This includes inquiries within my home city of Chicago, IL.
I choose to work online because it’s an inherently inclusive medium. And there is SO much we can do together! Including groups where everyone is spread out geographically, or sharing one space together. So let’s talk about what we could create for your group!
Are teas included with private classes?
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 here at Being Tea. 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 a lovely brewing card.
Tea can be provided for U.S. participants only.
Is teaware provided?
No, I don’t provide teaware for any type of class, as I am not a tea retailer. I do provide asimple 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. The topic we choose together is also framed by the equipment you have access to.
What is the process for scheduling a private class?
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 11am-8pm CT, although I can accommodate other schedule needs as requested.
How much do private classes cost?
This depends on the duration, number of attendees, and the type of the topic. Generally, private groups fewer than 10 people are around $250 for up to 90 min. Technical trainings for small businesses, such as cafes, tearooms, coffee roasters, start at $350 for up to 3 hours.
For bookings where folks are joining from separate locations, adding on tea starts at $25 per person, shipping to each attendee directly. (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.
How long are your private classes?
Private sessions for corporate or community groups usually run 90 min, but this is definitely customizable. Professional tea training sessions usually run 2 hours. I wouldn’t recommend less than 60 min for any session, as that can feel a bit rushed once brewing and tasting time is accounted for.
How many participants are required?
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 of people at first.)
I would suggest not going over 15 participants, 20 at max. More than this, and the connection and conversation between everyone starts to get more distant. More like usual “work mode” on a team call vibes. Connection is one of the main reasons folks book private tastings and classes like this, after all!
Do you offer private classes for individuals?
At this time, no – I only offer private classes for groups. However, through our Being Tea community class membership program, I do offer private class bookings as an add-on feature.
This is a personal choice for me; through our membership community, we’re exploring tea within relationship and consistent practice. I’m holding group classes with some folks I’ve had as students for years now. So, working one-on-one with students is a natural extension of that practice, and I enjoy offering this to my regular students.
– Meet Sooz –
About your facilitator
Suzette Hammond (“Sooz”, they / she) is a nationally-recognized, award-winning tea educator, skills trainer, and tea contemplative and spiritual practitioner, with over two decades of teaching experience.
Sooz is the founder of Being Tea – an online tea education business offering membership community classes, an annual Tasting Box Club program, and a first-of-its-kind professional Teacher Training program.
Their teaching style is sensory-centric, interactive, and hands-on, addressing knowledge accessibility and equity issues in education. Sooz also has a deep focus on sharing tea as a practice for emotional and spiritual well-being. Her teaching experience includes working with leading tea companies, corporate clients, trade organizations and non-profits across the U.S. and internationally.
Sooz is also a certified psychologically-sensitive yoga and meditation teacher (200-hr). Sooz’s specialty is leading trauma-informed tea meditation for therapeutic support. They’re also the recipient of a World Tea Award for Best Tea Educator.