With 25 years of experience in the tea industry, working in tea plantations in India, China, Japan, Nepal, even Africa, François-Xavier Delmas has come a long way from starting a small tea shop in Paris to running a global tea organisation.

The founder of Le Palais des Thés, a brand of premium tea based in Paris, Delmas believes that passion is crucial in making a mark in anything you do. In an interview with the Post’s Marissa Taylor, he talks about Nepal’s potential as a tea hub and  his recent visit to the country. Excerpts:

Can you tell us about your love for tea? How did you get into the business?

At the very beginning, I knew nothing about tea. I came to tea by accident and quickly became interested and more and more fascinated by it. Year after year it became a true passion and of course after I visited different tea fields in different countries and met with different farmers and planters, I became fully addicted to tea. Tea became a passion and no longer just work.

Can you tell us something about your organisation  Le Palais des Thés and how it came to be?

 Le Palais des Thés was just a small shop in a small street in Paris. In the course of time, I opened a second shop, then a third. Now  Le Palais des Thés has 46 tea shops in different countries and we supply to thousands of wholesale customers, from the French Presidential House to Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, to luxurious cruise companies, etc. In each of our 46 tea shops, you find 300 different loose teas, some Grands Crus (rare teas) and some signature teas.

Could you tell us a bit about your visit to Nepal and the purpose behind it?

I often visit Nepal. I feel at home in Nepal, especially in the countryside: Dhankuta and Ilam where I visit tea estates. I have been working on promoting Nepal’s teas and to do that I need to know where it is produced, how it is produced and who produces it. I need to know the people, I need to spend time with the factory manager, understand each step of the process of the tea leaves and what gives the taste. All of this would be impossible without visiting.

How would you gauge Nepali tea’s presence in the international market?

In the mass market, not very many people know that Nepal produces tea. In the niche markets, this is very new. I tried to introduce Nepali tea to France 10 years ago. At that time it was not easy. People even didn’t know that it was possible to grow tea in Nepal. During the first two or three years we offered different teas from the Dhankuta area but nobody was asking for them, but now the situation is different. Each spring, customers ask for it and now I import about 3,000 kgs of Nepal’s teas every year.

And how much potential does the country have?

The potential is high but it depends on the quality of production and capacity to produce organic teas. For the country to reach its full potential, focus should be on training youngsters to become trained tea makers. A good tea maker has a passion for tea, a very strong knowledge in tea and is creative in understanding the potential of each cultivar. Also, a lot of labour force is also required. The tea industry in Nepal can provide employment opportunities to many; it is all a matter of perception.

How will your company be working to promote Nepali tea internationally?

I have been promoting Nepal’s teas, through my company, in France, Europe and even in the US, where I supply to many five star hotels. I will do more in the future. I am also trying to document a short film with a filmmaker on Nepal’s tea.

You have worked with the tea industry for the past 25 years. What keeps you going?

Passion! One life is not enough for understanding tea. It is just like wine. I need 25 years more. Or 50, just to be able to understand more and more.