Having her first cup of matcha in Japan in 2008, Budoor immediately fell in love with the Japanese tea culture. After spending three years in Japan exploring the tea culture, she returned to Bahrain and founded Chawan, a first of its kind Japanese-themed tea house in 2012. She then started importing traditional Japanese teas such as matcha, genmaicha, and artisan Chinese teas such as blooming teas and the ancient pu’er tea. Built around the Japanese concept of hanami (admiring the seasonal flowers’ bloom, while enjoying a cup of tea) the unique tea house not only aims to educate people about the proper ways of enjoying high-quality loose-leaf teas, but also exploring the Japanese culture through a variety of activities. A kimono dressing experience, traditional tea ceremony, the art of calligraphy, and Japanese movie night are some of the activities offered.

 In 2015, Budoor returned to Japan to deepen her knowledge about the Japanese culture and tea education. She spent three more years in Japan where she acquired an International Masters in Japanese Humanities from the Kyushu University in Fukuoka, with a research focused on the Japanese tea ceremony grandmaster system iemoto. During her time in Japan she also acquired a professional certification in kimono dressing, and the Japanese tea ceremony known as chado certified by the Urasenke School, making her the first Bahraini woman in this field.

Budoor is also a certified Tea Master, Tea Blending Professional from ITEI (International Tea Education Institute), as well as Japanese tea culture educator at the institute.

Contact us to take part in tea certification and sommelier courses designed for those passionate about tea.