Anna Grabovska becomes the best professional tea brewer at the Baltic Tea Cup 2026

Baltic Tea Cup 2026, Riga Food 2026 competition for tea masters, was conducted on 12 September, bringing together professional tea brewers, enthusiasts and masters from all over the region. International competition attracted professional brewers who were willing to put their knowledge, skills and creativity to test.

This year, the category “Tea Brewing Mastery” combined two vital dimensions of tea master: storytelling and tea making. In the first part of the competition, contestants were asked to share their story, demonstrate knowledge, personal approach and vision of tea. Experienced judges diligently evaluated each performance according to clear criteria, paying special attention to the stories and how masterfully tea was made.

The second part was the making of the tea. Contestants were tasked with making two kinds of tea. They could choose one, but the other one had to be made of Gushu Purple Bud white tea from Yunnan province of China, provided by organisers for the competition only several days prior to its start.

Masters entering the competition had to put together their knowledge, technique, precision and creativity to create a unique tea experience. So, Tea Brewing Mastery was not only focused on how well the tea has been made but the all-round mastery of brewing a tea.

Winners
Professional judges spent the whole day listening to numerous stories and watching brewers make tea to announce the winners – the first place was awarded to Anna Grabovska, the second to Dāvids Gaigals and bronze was won by Jelizaveta Podusova.

Professional jury
Proceedings of the competition and skills of contestants were judged by a professional international jury: Ernestas Klevas (Lithuania), Jiri Altior (Czechia), Jurijs Podusovs (Latvia), Viviana Vaivode-Šulte (Latvia) and Gundega Silniece (Latvia).

“Warm congratulations to al winners and, of course, all contestants who competed on this stage. Each tea that was made here is a testament to master’s skills, patience and passion inherent in our profession. Thank you for the time, excellence and devotion that promotes tea brewing culture and brings tea mastery to a new level here in the Baltics. A big thank you to embassies of India and China in Latvia for their generous support of Baltic Tea Cup,” Gundega Silniece, President of the Latvian Tea Association.

Baltic Tea Cup 2026 is a competition and also an opportunity to meet tea industry professionals and enthusiasts, share experience and promote the development of tea culture in the Baltic region.

Baltic Tea Cup 2026 and Riga Tea Days, which took place during Riga Food 2026 on 10-11 September at the tea competition area, were organised by the Latvian Tea Association.