Designing a tea pairing experience

Abstract

The goal of this project was to design an experience for pairing tea with food in fine dining restaurants, to provide people with a refined, alcohol-free alternative to wine. Tea’s ability to enhance or complement the flavours of food, along with its rich history and cultural background, can add a sophisticated element to the gastronomic experience while offering a healthy, light, and refreshing beverage to accompany a dish.

However, in the Netherlands, tea is often associated with sipping a hot beverage from a cosy mug on the couch, with a (fruity) teabag hanging in it; an image that doesn’t align with the fine dining context.
Therefore, this project focused on changing people’s perception of tea through a specially designed experience. This experience is intended to bridge modern and culturally authentic elements, to create a new tea culture that adds meaning and depth by incorporating aspects of tea’s origins.

A tea sommelier would select the types of tea to pair with dishes through close collaboration with the chef and carefully prepare the tea at the dining table for each guest. To ensure a genuine connection with guests and to avoid overshadowing the food, the tea preparation process should be effortless, while still paying attention to detail and maintaining a refined touch.

This tea concept is tailored to resonate with Zillennials (ages 24–34), which is a sub-generation shaping the near-future fine dining market and consuming less alcohol than older generations. The tea is brewed with a tea concentrate, which will be added to any kind of water at the dining table.This enables the sommelier to prepare tea in advance and ensures convenient service, while still delivering a refined and meaningful experience to guests.

The vibrant colours of the tea, delicate aromas, and natural materials in the teaware create an immersive and calming experience. The storytelling element offered by the sommelier fosters a deeper connection with the guests and offers them an insight into the tea’s origin and flavour combinations. This aligns Zillennials desire for purpose, genuine engagement, and cultural exploration, and could make tea a key element of fine dining.

Sharing tea can be a powerful way to change people’s perspectives regarding tea and could make more people curious to try the experience. This could enhance the social dynamic at the dining table and allow guests to explore and enjoy tea together. The presence of multiple cups on the table adds a sense of abundance and harmony. The slow and intentional preparation process invites mindfulness and being in the moment.