The role of tea education at The Steepery Tea Co. didn’t change suddenly, and it wasn’t an easy decision to make.
For many years, teaching was a significant part of my work. I developed and delivered structured workshops and in-depth classes across Brisbane, introducing hundreds of people to pure leaf tea. That work mattered deeply to me, and stepping away from it has been one of the hardest professional shifts I’ve made.
The change was gradual. For a long time, I held space for education alongside other work, adjusting schedules, reducing frequency, and rethinking formats. Even as the practical realities shifted, I wasn’t ready to let go of education entirely. It has taken time to recognise that something can be meaningful, successful, and still no longer be the right fit.
Only recently has that understanding settled into a clear decision.
Tea education requires sustained attention, preparation, and repetition. While I continue to value education deeply, it became increasingly clear that running formal, ongoing programmes was no longer compatible with how my broader tea aspirations had evolved — or with the kind of work I wanted to prioritise going forward.
That realisation coincided with the growth of East Forged.
East Forged a separate tea venture that I work on with fellow tea specialist, Tania Stacey, and now a major focus of my professional life. Its work is industry-facing, commercially grounded, and shaped by the practical realities of sourcing, scale, and long-term relationships. It demands a different kind of focus — one centred on systems, growth, and what sustainable tea businesses need in practice.
As East Forged developed, my work at The Steepery is naturally more focused.
The Steepery Tea Co. continues as a place for sharing pure leaf tea with care and intent. East Forged represents another expression of how tea has evolved for me — one that responds to the realities of the tea industry and the needs of businesses operating within it.
Both are connected. Both inform how I approach tea. And both reflect the work that continues to evolve.
—
Kym Cooper
