The Tea Team

MEET THE TEAM

Annabel Padley

Senior Social Media Manager

Growing up in Britain, enjoying a nice 'cuppa' was the remedy for everything – a moment of calm, comfort, and stillness amidst the daily hustle, alleviating any qualms one might have. I cherished the ritualistic nature of brewing and savoring tea, and sharing the experience with others. As a child, my mother – who was never seen without a cup of green tea – introduced me to Sencha and Matcha. From there, my interest in green tea and tea culture grew, eventually leading me to spend four months in East and Southeast Asia. During the trip, I assisted on a tea farm in Wazuka, Japan, developed a love for oolong tea in Taiwan, and met two Chinese tea masters in Kuala Lumpur who generously brewed a variety of Chinese teas. I even had the privilege of sampling Bai Ying Shang Sheng Pu Erh tea from an ancient tea tree over 2,000 years old. It’s safe to say that tea will always be a significant part of my life. At Yoshi en, it brings me joy to fuse together my passion for tea with marketing – ensuring that our content on social media inspires and educates our followers, adding value to both their online and tea-drinking experience.

Favourite teas: Shou Pu Erh, High Mt. Black, GABA and Phoenix Oolong, Uji Matcha, Kabusecha
Ann-Sophie Schafer

Head of People and Organisation

Since my childhood, tea has held a special place in my life. I vividly remember moments when I was unwell, and my mother would bring me a steaming cup of soothing herbal tea. The gentle aroma and the warmth of the cup always gave me comfort and a sense of being cared for. Tea was never just a drink for me; it was a moment of calm and rejuvenation. Today, at the beginning of my own tea journey, I find myself more captivated by the world of tea than ever before. Matcha, in particular, has always fascinated me – even as a student, I was drawn to its vibrant green hue and its meditative qualities. The energy, focus, and balance that matcha provides are a true gift, calming the mind while invigorating the body. In hectic times, its effects are especially valuable. As an HR professional, I aim to nurture this sense of mindfulness and community within the workplace. I want to foster a culture where the spirit of tea – a moment of connection and presence – is embraced in the work environment. These shared tea moments can create a space that unites us and provides a chance to pause and breathe. I look forward to continuing this journey and sharing it with others.

Favourite teas: Hashiri Shincha Saemidori, Silver Needle Moonlight, Hojicha Nagatani Yabukita, Matcha Uji Premium
Asky Petynka

Art Director

People who have known me for many years know that I like tea. As a result, I've received several tea sets in my life. I started to develop a taste for tea during my studies when I visited the first place that offered leaf tea in Kraków, in the centre of the Old Town. I mainly drank black tea then, it wasn't anything special, but you have to remember that it was the mid-nineties in Poland. After a while I discovered Japanese green teas and the very popular Genmaicha, which is often served in sushi bars. When I came to Berlin in 2016 and started working at Sunday Natural I met a man who opened the doors to a whole new world of tea. His name is Jörg and since then I have designed many tea labels and was also at the birth of Yoshi en. Tea isn't just a drink for me, it is about architecture, aesthetics and history: I admire the Floating Tea House designed by Kengo Kuma, the minimalistic works of Takashi Endoh but also the traditional Sukiya style tea pavilion. For me personally, tea is synonymous with the proverb 日々是好日 – “every day is a good day” – so we must enjoy it.

Favourite teas: Kyobancha, Shou Pu Erh, Hojicha, Manipur Smoked Wild Tea, Matcha Eisai, Mizudashi Fukamushi Sencha, Keemun Gong Fu
ATSUKO NISHIMURA

Product & Purchasing Manager Japan

For Japanese people, tea and its culture are inseparable from daily life. As a kid, I drank barley tea with every meal, and in the afternoon my grandmother would make Matcha, and we enjoyed Japanese sweets together – but all very casually. After moving to Berlin in 2011, I realised that I had taken these customs for granted, they were very precious experiences, and that it’s not so easy to find good Japanese tea and beautiful teaware outside of Japan. At Yoshi en, together with my tea-loving colleagues, we meticulously research and test products to ensure we are offering our customers something tasty and beautiful. As a Japanese person living in Europe, I believe that I can understand the values of both cultures and come up with exciting new product ideas.

Favourite teas: Sencha Kinezuka Yamakai, Matcha Jōō, cold brew Mt. Kenya Silver Needle, High Mountain GABA Oolong
Benjamin Skalski

Senior Customer Service Agent

I discovered my passion for good tea quite unexpectedly at the turn of the millennium. After several years of very competitive Shōtōkan karate training, I sought a new, more harmonious path for myself, which I finally found in Aikidō. For the next two decades I gained some experience in Aikikai: the classical and harmonious style of Aikidō according to the teachings of the founder or Ōsensei, Ueshiba Morihei (植芝盛平). During this very formative time, I had the opportunity to train with some wonderful people at the dojo several times a week and learn a lot about Japanese culture in addition to martial arts. Some of my Japanese friends from the dojo would regularly invite me to their families' homes after training, where I was very often offered fresh green tea. I loved this incredible hospitality and love, which was shown to me, a virtually unknown person at that time, right from the start. Since that time I have associated the word "family" with the enjoyment of good Japanese Sencha tea. Over the years, I have come to know and love many different varieties and methods of preparing tea – not only Japanese, but also Chinese and other teas of the world. Through my love of tea I came into contact with our company founder Joschi a few years ago, whom I am proud to count among my good friends. In our team I'm not just an employee, but a friend and a part of the tea family.

Favourite teas:Intense and very aromatic Senchas, preferably from Shizuoka as well as fine, fully shaded Gyokuro, preferably of the Saemidori cultivar and Kabusecha (partially shaded tea)
Emily Lo

Head of Product & Purchasing, China & Taiwan

食茶! (ciak te) – “drink tea” in Chinese Chao Zhou slang are some of the most familiar words I know from my grandma, who is originally from Chao Zhou, where the Gong Fu Cha ceremony originated. Tea is part of our family tradition: whenever we sit together, tea is with us. Every Summer I would visit my uncle, who has his own Pu Erh shop, where I slowly got the chance to brew and serve tea properly. In 2008, I made my first trip to Taiwan, experienced the stunning fragrance and taste of Taiwanese High Mountain Oolong that I could never forget. Going back to the tea farms as part of Sunday Natural and now Yoshi en, I feel very blessed that "Tea" has stayed with me even though I am far from home. Exploring the tea world and tasting all kinds of tea excites me every day, and connecting with tea farmers all around Taiwan and Mainland China has become my specialisation. When I walked along the fields, touching the soil, breathing in the clean mountain air and brewing tea with fresh spring water, assured me that this is the path I wanted to go. This inspired me to dive deeper into tea taster training sessions and studying more about tea across the spectrum. A cup of tea is a cup of art, it can reflect your mood and even surprise you with unexpected sweetness and aftertaste. I am joyous to spread Chinese tea culture globally and share the cup of tea.

Favourite teas: Lao Cha, Wu Yi Rock tea, Phoenix Dan Cong, high quality Taiwan High Mountain Oolongs

Hendrikje-Hjördis Osuji

Head of Operations

My personal tea journey started in a traditional tatami room in a Japanese village on Kyushu in February 2004. I was alone in a foreign country among people I did not know (yet), surrounded by a language I could not speak. A certain loneliness befell me that I had not felt before. My host mother brought me some freshly made Sencha from Kagoshima with some Wagashi. With each gentle grassy sip and each smiling face my spirit rose again. Until this day Sencha only means one thing to me: home. At Yoshi en I am able to combine my love for tea with my love for numbers. Together with my great colleagues I carry the responsibility and honour to bring this feeling of coming home to our customers.

Favourite teas: Sencha Karigane Sakura, Genmaicha, Jasmine Dragon Pearl
Isa Chen

Product & Purchasing Manager, China

After finishing my studies in Germany, introducing Chinese teas was my first profession. After so many years, I cannot count how many tea gardens and nice folks I have visited, and the delightful tea times I have enjoyed with them. Tea is like going on a journey with a beautiful landscape without actually knowing where the destination is. Until the moment I realised that travelling to the Wuyi Mountains had become an annual pilgrimage, was I able to understand Okakura’s saying “Teaism is essentially a worship of the imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in the impossible thing we know as life." Working at Yoshi En encourages me to present the best features and the soul of this magic leaf to those who also want a life with tea. A daily cup of tea has the power to offer comfort, evoke memories and a gentle dialogue with the world around us. As a very wise man in China once said: “There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life. If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.”

Favourite teas: Wuyi Rock tea, aged white tea, Liu Bao tea
Jan Grigat

Editorial Team Lead

It was a tea shop in my hometown on Lake Constance that ignited the spark for my longtime love of tea. Their wonderful selection of fresh, grassy, invigorating Sencha, imported directly from Japan captivated me so much that I decided to study and live there for a total of almost seven years. During this time I had the opportunity to taste a wide variety of teas and visit the places where they grow. My interests gradually expanded to include tea traditions and specialities of neighbouring China, Korea and Taiwan, whose beautiful tea houses are deeply imprinted in my memory. At Yoshi en I combine this love of tea with a passion for writing, to faithfully capture the versatility of these cultural assets – from the plants themselves, the people who grow them, the nature that allows them to flourish in myriad variations, besides the cultures and traditions created around them.

Favourite teas: Mountain-fresh Sencha, Kenyan Purple Tea, Osmanthus-Oolong
Jörg (Joschi) Schweikart

CEO & Founder

In the wonderful tea houses of Paris, during my days as a student, I discovered my profound passion for tea. Initially enthusiastic about the outstanding Pu Erh and Oolong teas from China and Taiwan, I gradually dived deeper into the world of Japanese green teas, which continue to fascinate me. I paid special attention to the precious ingredients of the different tea varieties and cultivars as well as their unique health properties. To this day I love to read scientific papers and studies on this and also to work together with tea farmers to use these findings in a targeted way to improve cultivation and processing. Working at Sunday Natural and Yoshi en allows me to meet with many outstanding tea farmers, ceramic artists and tea enthusiasts from around the world and share our knowledge and accumulated experiences. Over time, I began to understand that tea and tea culture has given me much more than enjoyment, business and passion. Rather, I feel I serendipitously turned to Chadō, the way of tea, on an infinite inner journey of mindfulness.

Favourite teas: Umami-rich semi-shaded organic Gyokuro, lightly grassy Sencha, matured Sheng Pu Erh
Magnus Pettersson

Photographer

As photographer here at Yoshien, I'm thrilled to bring you fresh and exciting visual content. While I'm a newcomer to the world of tea, my eagerness to learn and dive deep into this fascinating realm knows no bounds. Looking forward to capturing and sharing the beauty and essence of tea with all of you!

Favourite teas: Furong Shan Anhua Heicha or a fresh cold brew Mizudashi Sencha Chiran Yutakamidori
Mairi Hare

Editor EN

Raised in the UK, at an early age I developed a taste for deeply steeped Assam and Earl Grey teas (served with generous amounts of milk and sugar). As my palate matured, I came to appreciate the smoky Lapsang Souchong favoured by my British Grandmother along with the delicate green teas from my Mother’s native Japan. At Yoshi en I write about teaware and accessories, many of which come from historic kilns and leading contemporary artisans in China and Japan. This allows me to draw on my background in design and cultural studies, my passion for sustainability and craftsmanship, as well as my experience as a writer and beneficiary of a rich heritage from two celebrated tea cultures.

Favourite teas: Kamairicha, Genmaicha, Hojicha

Mika Kobayashi

Junior Sourcing Specialist

My grandmother was a Japanese tea ceremony teacher, and in the tea room of our family home in Tokyo, I grew up enjoying matcha with her and my mother. Back then, living in Japan, I never thought of it as anything particularly special. After moving to Berlin, I came to truly appreciate the beauty of Japan’s culture and traditions. At Yoshi-en, I now have the privilege of discovering high-quality teas and tea wares made with great care and passion. Meeting incredible skilled farmers and finding fantastic teas brings me so much joy. During the Sengoku period (Japan’s Warring States period), samurai lived each day with the understanding that it might be their last. Yet, they found comfort and connection through the simple act of sharing tea. Even today, tea remains a way to find peace, calm the mind, and strengthen connections with others. In the same spirit, I hope to discover and share products that bring you meaningful and memorable moments.

Favourite teas: Gyokuro Shibushi Saemidori, Matcha, Genmaicha
Milan Bak

Digital Marketing Manager

Tea has always played an important role in my life. Before school as a child, I always had a mug of black tea. The taste not only gives joy and warmth, but can also heal. There is no better feeling than getting home on a cold winter day and brewing a delicious tea. Before joining Sunday Natural and then Yoshi en, I did not have much knowledge about tea, but I loved to drink it. I remember being offered tea on my first day when I arrived at the office and the cupboard was full of tea from all over the world. I was really fascinated and felt honoured when I could switch to this company where I can also contribute to give nice tea selection to the world. My role at the company is to inform our dear customers about our newest products, giving them high quality information on the portfolio and of course exclusive offers and discounts.

Favourite teas: Hibiscus Flower Tea, Peppermint Tea & Nana Mint Tea, Dragon Pearl Jasmin, Gampola Ceylon Orange Pekoe
Mirjam Greiner

Product Development & Tea Sommelier

I was essentially breastfed with tea – my dear Mother always drank tea, black tea from Georgia to be precise. At seventeen I experienced my first tea seminar where I learned a lot about Darjeeling First Flush Teas, which are still my favourites together with all White Teas. While travelling the world I was guided to many places where drinking “Cha” has long been the norm and where I always felt at home. Before I arrived at Yoshi en, I worked here and there in Tea-Berlin and completed my exams as a Tea Sommelier in 2013. Subsequently I trained as a herbalist, which made me realise that all knowledge is within us and working with our intuition can take us everywhere. Being part of the “Tea Family” opened my eyes and heart to Tea and everything connected to it even more. Camelia Sinensis with it’s aroma, it’s distinct beauty and it’s warm spirit, is also in me. 來喝茶!

Favourite teas: Darjeeling First Flush, White Peony, Sheng Pu Erh
Miryam Harrat

Editorial & Localization FR

I was born in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, a country where tea is very important both for its social dimension and its place in daily life. That's why tea and the rituals that go with it have played an essential role in my life since childhood. Over the years, this love and passion for tea has stayed with me both in France, where I grew up, and during my various experiences abroad, particularly in Austria and Germany. This interest in tea, combined with my love for travel, has opened me up to other cultures and enabled me to discover other types of tea. Based on my experience in journalism and localization, I joined the Yoshi En team as editor and localization specialist. My mission within the editorial team is to showcase our wonderful teas and share the stories of those who grow them around the world. All this through quality content in French, my mother tongue.

Favourite teas: Green Tea, Dragon pearl jasmin, Hibiscus flowers tea, Sakura Rose Moonlight
Morten Menge

Senior Editor DE

It all started with a Taiwanese Milky Oolong prepared Gong Fu Style at a cozy tea room in Berlin many years ago. From that moment I fell in love with tea and tea culture, and embarked on a journey that is far from being finished. My love of the plant has taken me to many places and connected me to fascinating tea lovers across the world. Over the years I have worked at multiple tea companies and founded Berlin’s first Tea Festival, but still very much enjoy having tea ceremonies with friends, and of course hosting them for newcomers. Besides this I like to write about tea, giving it a poetic note, which is what I strive to do with the online content here at Yoshi en.

Favourite teas: Matured white tea, Shou and Sheng Pu Erh, lightly shaded Sencha, Wu Yi rock tea
Panos Divanis

CRM Lead

Growing up in Greece, Mountain tea was my gateway into the world of tea. This herbal infusion, known for its comforting warmth, inspired me to explore diverse tea cultures and expand my palate. The artful preparation and cultural tradition of Japanese teas especially deepened my appreciation for this beverage. In my current role focused on Customer Relationship Management, I find joy in building connections, and much like the way tea brings people together, my role involves ensuring a positive and personalised experience for our customers.

Favourite teas: Mountain tea, Camomile, Dictamos, Gyokuro Shibushi, a strong and bitter Sencha tea.

Patrycja Szymanska

Operations Manager

Tea has always accompanied me through life – whether Earl Grey with a hint of bergamot or Turkish black tea – these evoke the fondest memories, be it sipping tea before kindergarten to warm up, or during my student days to relieve stress. With my busy schedule between production planning, raw material control, delivery and business process management, you will regularly find me drinking tea to relax and keep myself up-to-date with our diverse product range.

Favourite teas: Delicately scented organic Earl Grey, such as our "Lady Orange"
Robin Schmidt

Editor DE

While studying Japanese & East Asian Studies I attended a matcha tea ceremony that sparked my obsession with Japanese teas. I would then fully immerse myself into tea when I went to live and work in the small but celebrated tea town of Wazuka in Kyoto prefecture. Here, under my "chamei" (茶名) tea name, Komadori: Japanese for robin, I underwent intensive tea training that included working in the fields and processing teas to leading guided tours and attending major tea events, as well as studying and promoting Japanese tea culture. Afterwards back in Berlin, I was able to pass on my passion to customers as an Assistant Store Manager at a tea shop and through self-directed tea seminars. Now at Yoshi en I oversee the Japanese Green Tea portfolio where I lead tastings to ensure the teas are faithfully presented in all their natural strength and beauty, from visuals to written descriptions, so that our customers can almost taste them while browsing our store.

Favourite teas: Sannenbancha, intense Sencha, mineral-rich Bancha
Robin Toorn

Quality Assurance Manager

As a child I enjoyed drinking a cup of tea during ‘theetijd’ (‘tea-time’ in Dutch). Later during my food technology education, I became fascinated by the way natural processes like fermentation can create different flavours in products. Tea (camellia sinensis) is a prime example of such a product that can develop many different flavours through simple processes without the need of having anything added to it. Through my previous work experiences with speciality coffee, craft beer and wine, I developed a special interest in detecting flavour defects in products and investigating the root cause of it. With Yoshi en I love exploring the wide range of teas and making sure that our customers receive our products in the best quality.

Favourite teas: Refreshing steamed green teas that are mild in bitterness and umami, like our Sencha Zen, Gyokuro Maruo or GABA Tea Hiranyanagi. At other times something more funky like a Huo Shan Huang Ya (yellow tea) or a cheeky Heicha.
Sanae Serassi

Product & Purchasing Manager, Japan

In Japan, green tea is deeply embedded in daily life. Back home every morning would start with a fresh brew for our ancestors at the family altar, then as a household we would drink the second and third infusions of the same tea. Green tea would then be served at every meal, during breaks and for guests throughout the day, so our teapot was constantly in use. This is true not only at home but also at work – even children take tea to school in flasks. Now, living far away from Japan, I finally realised how precious this everyday tea culture is. Through Yoshi en I would like to spread the richness of this daily ritual in Europe with our delicious and diligently selected Japanese green teas!

Favourite teas: Genmaicha, Wakocha Benifuuki, Sencha from Chiran, Kamairicha
Sandra Gehlen

PR-Consultant

Tea was first a medicine and then became a drink. In 8th century China, within the realm of poetry, it began to be considered a higher form of distraction. Come the 15th century in Japan, it was elevated to a religion of aestheticism – Teaism: "a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence." At Yoshi en we are committed to this philosophy of tea as described in the introduction to the legendary Book of Tea from 1906 by Kakuzō Okakura. And how could it be otherwise? What is more meaningful than tea, which has formed entire cultures, and shaped landscapes and societies? I am deeply fascinated by the way tea is viewed culturally and reflects a country's unique values and traditions. Tea has the ability to bring people together, creating a space for conviviality and reflection while being a source of joy and wellbeing. In short, everything is a little better with tea.

Favourite teas: Gyokuro Shibushi Saemidori, Gaba Tea Kinezuka
Stefan Kerssens

Purchasing Manager, China and ROW

I embarked on my tea journey in 2011 following my introduction to loose leaf tea in the form of a Bai Mu Dan. From here I started exploring teas, with a particular focus on Chinese and Taiwanese teas. I was fortunate enough to live in Chengdu, China, for three and a half years, where I was able to immerse myself in daily tea practice and meet many wonderful people active in the world of tea and pottery. Returning to Germany, it became apparent that I want to work with tea and share the beauty and wisdom of this magical plant with others. At Yoshi en I do the purchasing of all non-Japanese teas and herbal infusions, as well as supporting new product launches from A to Z. I am also always on the lookout for exciting new tea accessories, particularly from European artists, which has already resulted in many fruitful collaborations with some of the most interesting contemporary potters.

Favourite teas: Strongly oxidised Oolongs, mature White Tea, Sheng Pu Erh, First Flush Darjeeling

Yaroslav Malygin

Senior Project Manager

My personal tea journey began in Soviet-era Moscow. Back then for us tea was little more than a drink that we drank casually to accompany my grandmother's desserts and pirozhki. When I was a child, our tea world consisted mainly of simple black tea from India. It wasn't until the 90s, when my mother became interested in healthy and vegetarian eating that I discovered green and herbal tea. But even then I still lacked the knowledge and interest in tea. I would continue dipping a tea bag of a chamomile or earl grey tea depending on the mood with a spoon of honey. However, this changed when I joined Yoshi en and was inspired by my new colleagues – incredible people and passionate tea lovers. A whole new world of high-quality, delicious teas opened up to me. Since then, I can't stop trying new flavours and aromas, constantly learning about all kinds of teas and herbs, and slowly discovering my personal preferences and favourites. As Senior Project Manager at Yoshi en, I am responsible for making the workflows and logistics behind our products more efficient and structured, ensuring fresh and tasty tea is always available for our customers.

Favourite teas: Ya Bao, Lady Orange, Oriental Beauty and fresh Sencha
Yumiko Okuda

Head of Product & Purchasing, Japan

I grew up near Kyoto, in Kyotanabe – a city famous for its rich green tea tradition and first-class Uji tea. As a child I didn't really understand why our teacher would speak so proudly about local tea production, we even had a textbook on the subject decorated with a tea leaf pattern and at breaktimes we could help ourselves to tea in the hallway. In 2019 when I joined Yoshi en, I reconnected with tea and my casual interest grew into a fully-fledged love and passion as I began to connect with more tea people. My favourite part of my work is talking to the tea farmers in Japan, I cannot express just how wonderful it is to feel their profound dedication to and knowledge of tea. In order to convey this devotion, I ensure all our Japanese tea and accessories meet the highest standards, from farm to teacup, to bring joy to all our customers.

Favourite teas: Gently brewed umami-rich Gyokuro, high mountain Gaba Oolong, Kamairicha, creamy matcha, and any tea that is nicely prepared by somebody.

MEET THE TEAM

Annabel Padley

Ann-Sophie Schafer

Asky Petynka

ATSUKO NISHIMURA

Benjamin Skalski

Emily Lo

Hendrikje-Hjördis Osuji

Isa Chen

Jan Grigat

Jörg (Joschi) Schweikart

Magnus Pettersson

Mairi Hare

Mika Kobayashi

Milan Bak

Mirjam Greiner

Miryam Harrat

Morten Menge

Panos Divanis

Patrycja Szymanska

Robin Schmidt

Robin Toorn

Sanae Serassi

Sandra Gehlen

Stefan Kerssens

Yaroslav Malygin

Yumiko Okuda