VMPL

New Delhi [India], September 8: Few beverages are as deeply woven into the fabric of everyday life in India as tea. From the morning cup that begins the day to leisurely conversations over chai, tea has travelled across regions, traditions and generations to become a part of India's collective rhythm. Yet, beyond the familiar cup, tea offers a world of flavours, aromas and experiences waiting to be explored.

Bringing this perspective to the table, Chef Smriti Iyer will present a six-course tea menu at Glenburn Penthouse Kolkata on 11th September 2026, created to explore tea beyond its role as a beverage. Each of the six courses features a distinctive tea created by Chef Smriti using Glenburn Teas, accompanied by a small bite to complement the cup.

Chef Smriti Iyer, known for her ingredient-led approach to modern Indian vegetarian cuisine, brings to the experience a culinary journey shaped by her work as a chef, baker, educator and entrepreneur. With a background in architecture, Chef Smriti transitioned into the culinary world and went on to establish India's first online baking school, at a time when online culinary education was still in its early stages. Teaching students across different kitchens, ovens, climates, and ingredient conditions shaped her understanding of how ingredients behave and adapt, an approach that continues to influence her work today. Through Smriti's Special and Ananth India, she explores Indian ingredients, regional food traditions and culinary experiences through an ingredient-focused lens. 

The experience brings together Chef Smriti's ingredient-led culinary approach and her curiosity around tea, with each course drawing inspiration from different ingredients, landscapes, seasons and memories. The tea remains the hero throughout, while the accompanying bites have been designed to enhance the flavours and experience of each cup.

The tasting begins with Vanilla No Vanilla. The second course, Green Guava. Next comes Slow Sunday Morning. The fourth course, Autumn in Ladakh. A Vetiver Water follows as a palate cleanser, inspired by the scent of rain and earth, before the tasting moves into Mountain Walk. The final course, Chocolate Chai, takes a more indulgent turn. 

Chef Smriti's six-course menu brings together her own tea creations and carefully considered bites, with Glenburn Teas' distinctive teas woven into each expression. The setting could not be more fitting. As part of the Glenburn Estate, Glenburn Penthouse Kolkata carries the legacy of a tea estate that has been growing and producing tea for generations, making it a natural home for this experience that invites guests to look at tea in a new way. Here, a beverage so deeply familiar to Indians takes centre stage in a considered culinary journey, bringing together tea, food, conversation and the simple pleasure of sharing a table.

For Chef Smriti, tea is closely connected to memory, place and emotion. Her inspiration for the tasting comes from exploring teas alongside herbs, flowers, fruits and regional ingredients, and understanding how each combination can evoke a different sense of time and place. The six cups are therefore designed not simply as different flavours, but as six individual moments within one culinary journey.

Speaking about the experience, Chef Smriti Iyer says, "As a tea lover, tea has always been more than a beverage to me. It carries memories, places, seasons and emotions. This tasting is inspired by my journey exploring teas, herbs, flowers and ingredients from across India. Every tea has been carefully paired with a small snack designed to complement the experience without taking away from the flavours in the cup. I hope guests pause for a moment, discover something new, and perhaps make their own memories with each sip.

Husna-Tara Prakash, Owner & Managing Director, GlenBurn Tea Estate said,"We are excited to be taking this tea connection forward with Chef Smriti after we discovered our common love for tea at our tea estate a few years ago. As purists, we often look at teas on their own but through her culinary imagination and creativity, we are enjoying new ways to look at tea as a medium to carry through some delicious new flavours and aromas."

As the evening unfolds, Chef Smriti Iyer will share the inspiration behind the six teas and the thought process behind each pairing, giving guests an insight into the making of the menu. The tasting is designed to extend beyond the cup, creating space for conversation, discovery and the kind of easy exchange that has always been part of India's tea culture.

The experience celebrates something deeply familiar to Indians while inviting guests to experience it differently. Six cups, six distinct expressions, and six carefully considered bites come together to show the versatility of tea while keeping the beverage itself firmly in the spotlight.

Tea Time with Chef Smriti Iyer will take place on Friday, 11th September 2026, from 3:30 PM onwards, The Dining Room at The Glenburn Penthouse on the 8th floor of Kanak Towers.

Reserve your spot here: https://link.district.in/DSTRKT/g3dc8eji 

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)