Pat Moore, one of our branch members, will give us an illustrated talk on “The Romance of Tea“. So do come to hear him, at 3:00pm, Saturday 18th April, at St John Catholic Church hall, 180 Centreway, Orewa, North Auckland.
When asked to explain the title of his talk, he replied:
“The history of tea goes back many centuries and it has played a fascinating part in the War and Peace of many nations. In my own life it went from being a promising job to a lifetime love affair”.
This becomes clear from his life story below, and Pat will enlarge on this in his talk.
At the age of 22, after wartime service with the British Army in Europe and East Africa, Pat Moore became a civilian again. Having acquired a fondness for the Colonial life style, he joined a British company with world-wide trading links and a century of pioneering in the plantation industries throughout Asia. He spent 17 years in India and Sri Lanka by the end of which he was the largest supplier of tea to blenders and packers worldwide with regular long-distance travel.
In 1965 he decided it was time to settle down for the sake of a growing family and chose New Zealand where he joined the leading tea importers. From the mid 1970’s, he extended his tea experience by developing their business with China and made regular visits to the Trade Fairs . Recognised as an expert in the manufacture of tea, he was invited to make a number of visits to estates in different growing areas in China.
In his retirement his interest in the tea industry is undiminished and in recent years he has spent more time on tea estates in Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
