Tetley recruits graduate buyers to taste tea

Something for the weekend: Are you obsessed with all things brew related? British tea company Tetley is looking to hire two tea aficionados to join its team of tasters, who try up to 300 different teas per day as part of their role.

According to the business, successful applicants will become graduate tea buyers, travel around the world to “learn the secret lexicon of tea”, all while earning a competitive salary. You’ll soon be tea-ming with knowledge after a significant amount of training to start with in order to understand the manufacturing process.

Applicants will need at least a 2:2 university degree in addition to working well under pressure, having strong analytical and creativi-tea skills, and being highly self-motivated. Be quick though, as the deadline for applications is 5 November (today).

A Tetley spokesperson explained that this is a “dream” job which few know exist and that prior tea tasting experience is not necessary for the position, as the business is offering an unbe-leaf-able 10,000 hours of training across 450 skills.

“You don’t need to have a refined palate when you’re starting out, this is developed through our training and mentoring programme. So, if you have a clear passion for great tasting food and drink, and would love to learn about the zing, sparkle, colour and body of different quality tea types, we want to hear from you,” the spokesperson said.

Lucy Urwin, tea buyer at Tetley, added that she now leads Africa buying for the business after starting her career as a graduate tea buyer seven years ago, and is responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of spend per year.

“I have worked across different buying origins and tasted thousands of tea samples, it’s definitely not your average nine-to-five job. The role has offered me unique opportunities to travel around the world and spend time in our international offices. We have a really welcoming environment in the department, and I have always felt supported in my learning,” she said.

Here at Employee Benefits we’re big fans of pausing for a cuppa and think this sounds like a mug-nificent opportunity. A life of different blends suits us down to a tea.