Tea Trekker co-owners and James Beard Foundation Book Award Finalists Mary Lou and Bob Heiss will spark up your next corporate meeting, annual conference, business retreat or other gathering of interesting colleagues with an engaging presentation on food that combines history, culture, tasting, travel and discovery.

If you are looking for a speaker and are tired of the same old, same old, let us work with you to design a presentation custom-tailored to suit your group's interest and size.

What we offer: 

• Tea presentations with Powerpoint slide presentation of artisan tea processing in China and Japan

• Tea presentations with tea tasting

• Cooking with Tea Classes

• Olive oil presentations with olive oil tasting

• Cooking with Olive Oil Classes

• Cooking with Spices Classes

• Coffee presentations with coffee tasting

The following is a partial list of distinguished groups that we have made presentations to:

• International Association of Culinary Professionals ( IACP )

  Annual conference workshop seminars:

  • 2002: Green Tea: Appreciation and Perspective from the West

  • 2003: Ancient Roots, Solid Ground Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the New and Old World

  • 2003:  Drink Your Apple a Day: Cider and Calvados

  • 2008: Culture in a Teacup
    
     

• National Association for the Specialty Food Trade ( NASFT)

  International Fancy Food Show Educational Seminars

  • 2007: Introduction to Specialty Food Retailing: People, Products and Processes (San Francisco, Chicago and NYC)

  • 2008 : Introduction to Specialty Food Retailing: People, Products and Processes (San Diego, Chicago and NYC)

Albertson’s Cooking School, Bryn Mawr, PA

Boston University Seminars in Food, Wine and the Arts

Culinary Historians of Boston, Boston, MA

Disney Magazine, Northampton MA

Forbes Library, Northampton MA

Head Start, Westfield, MA

Historic Deerfield, Deerfield, MA

general education events; presentations for Trustees Meetings & Asher

Benjamin Society Members Meetings; Elder Hostel Programs
 

Hitchcock Center, Amherst, MA

Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA

James Beard House, NYC, NY

Jacob Edwards Library, Amherst, MA

University of Massachusetts Amherst : Asian Arts and Culture Dept.

Williams-Sonoma, South Windsor, CT

Wooller and Stern Financial Services, Amherst, MA
 

Mary Lou and Bob are acknowledged experts in the world of specialty foods. They have a deep respect for and passionate interest in artisan food products, traditional foods and the history and evolution of food and cooking in world cuisines.

They are the co-authors of:

• The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide ( 2008 IACP Cookbook Award Finalist and 2008 James Beard Foundation Book Award Finalist )
   

• Hot Drinks: Cider, Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate, Spiced Punch, Spirits.

Mary Lou is the solo author of:

• Green Tea: 50 Hot Drinks, Cool Quenchers and Sweet and Savory Dishes