Drinking tea every day and traveling to distant countries - welcome to the world of Des McCarthy, tea taster extraordinaire for G. E. Barbour Inc. Des has been blending and tasting tea for more than 30 years. Although Des spends most of his time in Sussex, New Brunswick, tasting up to100 cups of tea a day, from time - to - time Des hits the road for India, Sri Lanka, Kenya and other exotic locations.

For tea tasters anywhere, the best investment of time and money, according to Des, is visiting a producing country and experiencing first hand the origins of tea. Origin travel makes sense. It gives you a fresh enthusiasm for your business and it provides you with a wealth of knowledge about the latest developments in tea.

"You can never fully appreciate how much work is represented in a cup of tea," says Des. "To achieve a quality tea, the top two leaves and bud are selectively picked from the tea plant. After you have tried to do this yourself, you'll have great respect for those people who work the fields."

"Being a tea taster is a rewarding career," says Des. "I especially enjoy blending tea for the knowledgeable and discerning tea drinkers of Atlantic Canada."

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