Serendipitea Founder Tomislav Podreka 1965-2004

It is with immeasurable sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Tomislav Podreka. Tomsislav, the charismatic founder of SerendipiTea, wrote for many publications & frequently spoke on tea topics across the country. His loss has sent shock waves through the tea community as Tomislav's passion for tea was felt by everyone who met him. He unselfishly & enthusiastically shared his tea knowledge through his book, articles & lectures.

Tomislav contributed a great deal to the American tea world through his roles as past-president of the American Premium Tea Institute; adjunct lecturer at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) & guest lecturer at the French Culinary Institute (FCI). He was also a regular speaker at such notable trade organizations as the National Association of Specialty Food Trade (NASFT), Coffeefest & Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), & spoke at locales such as: Barnes & Noble; The National Press Club (D.C.); Columbia University ~ Department of Health & Nutrition; Towson University ~ Department of Asian Studies; & the Yale Epicurean Society. He was a contributing writer for Fresh Cup Magazine & various trade journals & was an often-used source for articles & stories on tea. Tomislav was one of the most-traveled & popular speakers on the history, philosophy & flavour profiles of tea in both the USA & Canada, having been interviewed on National Public Radio (NPR), NBC Weekend Today & various cable & radio shows around the country. His book, Serendipitea: a guide to the varieties, origins and rituals of tea, originally published in 1998 by William Morrow, will be re-published by Olde English Tea Company & available this Fall.

Tomislav was a character larger than life. His enormous personality & cheeky wit charmed all who met him. A uniquely gifted speaker, he captivated listeners by peppering his lectures with humor, philosophy & poetic & literary references. Native to Melbourne, Australia, Tomislav was a true raconteur & modern day Renaissance man, the likes of which are not often encountered in todays world. He studied philosophy & literature at Victoria College, earned several black belts & was as a professional ballroom dance instructor. Cuisine played an enormous role in Tomislavs life & with SerendipiTea being a culinary focused Tea company, he established great friendships with & earned due respect from some of this countrys finest chefs & culinary professionals.

In genuine Australian form, Tomislav was a rugged outdoorsman. An avid fly-fisherman, he greatly enjoyed camping, kayaking & athletic water-related activities. This was the man one would want to be stranded with on a desert island. Extraordinarily innovative, he could build shelter out of seaweed. Tomislav's talents translated easily from the intellectual to the physical ~ he was quite adept at wood-work & had a thumb so green, people would leave desperate plants with him for rehabilitation - he always succeeded!

Tomislav's interests & accomplishments were many & there were few conversation topics to which he was not able to contribute personal experience. If not offering stories of experience, he would always provide levity. A clown & prankster, Tomislav loved to laugh & one of his greatest pleasures was having others laugh with him. An optimist who always saw the goodness in all things & individuals, Tomislav brought out the best in people. He was uncommonly generous of his "self" & is simply unforgettable.

The Take Me 2 Tea Expo will be held in Providence, Rhode Island this September. And, since September 18, 2004 would have been his 39th birthday, SerendipiTea and his family would like to invite Tomislav's friends and colleagues in the tea community to gather for a piece of birthday cake and a cup of Darjeeling while sharing a story or two about Tomislav. Join us in a celebration of his life & the joy & passion he brought to us all. To be he