Steven Smith Teamaker
Anthony Tellin has spent the past 17 years making tea. In 1998 Tellin moved to Portland, Oregon from a small town in his home state of Iowa. He grew up drinking sun tea on the farm and had no idea how tea was grown or made, or even what tea was really. Finding a career in the industry was the last thing he was looking for but one that serendipitously found him. Tellin started at Tazo Tea Company the day after he moved to Portland and he has been in the tea industry ever since.
Within a short time at Tazo Tellin started working closely with founder, Steven Smith, helping with the buying and formulating of all Tazo products. Together they would taste hundreds of teas each day to determine the very best ingredients for inclusion in blends. Extensive visits to India, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Nepal yielded a thorough understanding of production practices, product qualities and supply chain factors. Formal training in sensory evaluation, negotiation, supply chain management and leadership strategies rounded out his business talent.
Tellin is active in industry associations and held a seat on the advisory board for the Specialty Tea Institute where he helped craft educational programs and supported industry initiatives. His strong sensory evaluation talents led him into a judge’s seat at the World Tea competitions in the US and countless tastings and competitions in producing origins.
Today Tellin is the head teamaker at Smith and is responsible for sourcing all ingredients, overseeing production and developing new products. Smith Teamaker is recognized for making some of the best tea in the world, with Tony leading the way, in his new home town of Portland Oregon.
2015 Papers/Presentations
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Anthony Tellin – Quality Cup by Cup -
Anthony Tellin, Steven Smith Teamaker
Anthony Tellin has spent the past 17 years making tea. In 1998 Tellin moved to Portland, Oregon from a small town in his home state of Iowa. He grew up drinking sun tea on the farm and had no idea how tea was grown or made, or even what tea was really
