Establish the foundations against which Shizuku's tea decisions will be made. Rui will translate the creative language of Heat, Water, Air and Light into a practical framework for selecting and understanding tea, considering flavour and aroma, sensory character, origin, craftsmanship, brewing expression, service suitability and appropriate price points. Alongside this, a Tea Buying Standard will define the quality, provenance, sourcing, cultural and continuity principles expected of the programme.

Lead the sourcing, assessment and selection of the four opening teas. Rui will draw on her knowledge and professional relationships, source more widely where appropriate, and assess each tea not only for quality, but for its origin, maker, craftsmanship, sensory character, elemental expression and suitability for Shizuku. Through this process, Shizuku will begin to develop its own understanding of how exceptional tea is recognised, assessed and selected. The phase will also establish how the programme maintains continuity over time, responding intelligently to harvest, quality, availability and producer relationships rather than changing simply for the sake of seasonality.

Translate the selected teas into a practical hospitality experience without losing the qualities that made them worth selecting. Rui will work with Shizuku to define the tea-specific service experience, develop and test brewing standards, establish portions and yields, and determine the teaware, water and equipment required to deliver the intended quality consistently and accessibly.

Build the knowledge behind the programme and give the opening team the confidence to carry it. Rui will develop the essential knowledge surrounding each tea — its place, producer, craftsmanship, sensory character, cultural context and elemental relationship — and translate this into different levels of understanding for the team and guest. Training will connect knowledge with tasting, brewing, service and communication, enabling the team to convey depth when it is wanted without imposing it when it is not.

Bring the programme into the actual Shizuku environment and test it under real operating conditions. Rui will calibrate the teas against the final water, equipment, service set-up, and team execution; identify any tea-specific issues; and make the final adjustments required before opening.