Bruce Richardson - Tea Industry Who's Who Bio
Friday, June 4th 2010 @ 9:32 PM
BRUCE RICHARDSON
Owner, Elmwood Inn Fine Teas & Benjamin Press
MSN calls Bruce Richardson "A leading tea expert involved in tea's American renaissance for over 20 years." He is a writer, photographer, tea blender, and frequent guest speaker at tea conferences across the country. He spends much of his time educating Americans in the art of celebrating afternoon tea and can often be found appearing on television and radio talk shows, or as a guest speaker at professional seminars such as World Tea Expo. He has served on the Advisory Committee for STI (Specialty Tea Institute of America) and the Editorial Board of Fresh Cup magazine. Bruce Richardson was recently named the Perfect Cup columnist for TeaTime magazine.
Bruce Richardson is one of America’s best-known advocates of tea. He drinks it, imports it, photographs it, writes about it and travels the world spreading the good news of tea. For 14 years, Bruce and his wife Shelley owned the Elmwood Inn Tea Room in Perryville, Kentucky. Elmwood received the distinction of being the first American tea room named to the British Tea Council’s Best Tea Places in 2000.
Drawing on their tea room experience, the Richardsons began writing and photographing a series of tea books. They founded their publishing company, Benjamin Press, in 1994. Their first book, A Year of Teas at the Elmwood Inn sold over 50,000 copies and is a favorite resource for tea room owners across America. It was quickly followed by A Tea for All Seasons and The Tea Table.
Bruce’s connections with the British tea industry led him to write and publish The Great Tea Rooms of Britain in 1996. It is now in its fifth edition. It was followed by The Great Tea Rooms of America and Looking Deeply into Tea. Bruce teamed with London writer Jane Pettigrew to produce The New Tea Companion for the National Trust of England. The newest edition of this definitive book of teas from around the world appears in October 2008.
His latest project is a three-book series titled Tea in the City. Editions include New York, London and Paris. In addition, Bruce’s articles and photographs have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers and trade publications. He is a regular columnist for Fresh Cup magazine and a contributing writer for Tea Time magazine.
Bruce is a frequent speaker at tea conference and fund raisers across America. As part of their ongoing educational endeavors, Bruce and Shelley host a seminar for aspiring tea professionals, Tea Room 101, twice each year. Bruce also serves as tea consultant to many businesses throughout the United States. He served for many years on the Advisory Board of the Specialty Tea Institute (STI) of America.
In 1995, Shelley and Bruce founded Elmwood Inn Fine Teas. They import and blend handpicked teas from around the world. Their Perryville facility supplies bulk and packaged tea to tea rooms, restaurants and gift stores in every state. In 2008, they were commissioned by the National Archives gift stores to package the tea thrown overboard at the Boston Tea Party.
Bruce is a graduate of Morehead State University, from which he holds a BA in Education. He has an MA in Education from Southern Seminary, and did post-graduate studies at Northern Illinois State University and Portland State University. He devotes much of his time to various boards and civic groups, and was the founder of the Boyle County (KY) Habitat for Humanity chapter. For seven years, he volunteered his leadership talents as mayor of the historic village of Perryville, Kentucky. His Mayor’s Cup blend is the politically correct tea to drink in that town!
More about Bruce Richardson & Contact details below:
Business: Elmwood Inn Fine Teas & Benjamin Press
Phone: 800.765.2139, Email
Website: www.elmwoodinn.com
Products/Services: Teas and tea blends; seminars on tea, the tea business and Tea & Etiquette; and books on tea
Education: Bruce earned a masters degree in choral conducting and music education.
Achievements: For fifteen years, Bruce founded and directed the Danville Children's Choir and was the co-founder and past president of the Boyle County chapter of Habitat for Humanity. For seven years, he volunteered his leadership skills as mayor of the historic village of Perryville, Kentucky. His Mayor's Cup tea is Elmwood Inn Fine Teas' signature blend.
Bruce Richardson was a member of the STI trade mission to Sri Lanka in 2003 and the STI mission to India in 2004. His photographs of tea workers and tea gardens in those two countries are featured in a traveling photography exhibit and the accompanying book Looking Deeply into Tea.
Years in tea industry: 20 (as of 2010)
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