GTT
Global Tea Tasters Club
A club that lets members receive tea selections from ITFA farms around the world, announced in Kyoto in 2011.
Announced August 5, 2011 · First shipment from Japan, October 2011
The club
What the GTT Club is
The Global Tea Tasters Club (GTT) was officially announced by the International Tea Farms Alliance on August 5, 2011, from Kyoto, Japan. The first shipment of tea for the club was sent from Japan in October 2011.
Membership
Open to ITFA members
The GTT Club is part of the International Tea Farms Alliance. Because the club is arranged through the alliance, access to tea selections from member farms comes with ITFA membership, which is free.
Membership is open to tea farmers and to tea lovers. Applications are available for both groups, and new members can review what membership includes before applying.
How it works
- Join the International Tea Farms Alliance as a tea farmer or a tea lover.
- Membership is free of charge.
- As a member, you can take part in the Global Tea Tasters Club and receive curated selections of tea from ITFA farms.
- Review the full list of member farms and their countries before ordering.
Background
An alliance built on shared tea
The International Tea Farms Alliance is a non-profit organization established by tea farmers as a bridge between tea producers and tea lovers around the world. It was started by Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations with support from the "Japan Brand" project of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, and it is based in Kyoto Prefecture.
The mission is to connect tea farmers from various production regions with each other and with tea lovers worldwide. The Global Tea Tasters Club is one expression of that mission, carrying teas from member farms in places such as China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and the USA to club members.
The GTT Global Tea Tasters Club is a membership programme that connects tea drinkers with the farms of the International Tea Farms Alliance. Announced in Kyoto in 2011, it was created as a way for supporters to taste teas from plantations and estates across multiple growing regions, rather than buying only from a single origin. Members receive periodic selections chosen by the alliance, allowing small family-run gardens and larger estates alike to reach an international audience of curious tea lovers. The club also gives members a closer look at the people who cultivate each harvest.
What the GTT Club is, in practice, is a bridge between production and consumption. Tea arrives from member farms in Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and beyond, each shipment carrying a different character shaped by its climate, soil and processing tradition. By sending these selections out to members, the alliance shares knowledge of brewing, tasting and appreciating the leaf, encouraging a fuller understanding of how a finished cup reflects the decisions made at the garden. Regular introductions also help tasters explore regions they might never otherwise encounter.
Joining the Global Tea Tasters Club is part of the wider International Tea Farms Alliance membership, which is open to supporters who want to engage more directly with tea farmers. Alliance membership adds benefits alongside the club, including insight into farm practices, seasonal harvest information and the cultural context surrounding each growing area. Since the alliance began, its underlying idea has remained consistent: that tea is an agricultural product with a human story, and that sustained, respectful relationships between producers and drinkers improve the quality of both. The club simply makes that relationship tangible, one shipment at a time.
Key moments
- August 5, 2011The International Tea Farms Alliance announces the Global Tea Tasters Club from Kyoto, Japan.
- October 2011The first shipment of tea for the GTT Club is sent from Japan.