The tradition of carrying tea
Long before dedicated commercial kitchens, a tea master’s skill was inseparable from the tools they could carry. Along the historic trade corridors mapped in tea.travel, itinerant gongfu practitioners rolled their yixing pots and tiny cups in cloth bundles, moving between villages and private gatherings. Those early carry solutions were as personal as the tea itself — a reflection of the maker’s taste and the seriousness of their craft.
Today, the working sommelier’s kit has expanded: multiple gaiwans, a precision scale, aroma cups, a folding tea tray, and perhaps a small selection of pu-erh cakes that need stable humidity. Our bags & totes series re-thinks that heritage for modern service. We use natural linen and heavy-gauge canvas, materials that age gracefully and resist the moisture and heat common in tea settings. The cut and internal pocketing are based on direct observation of professionals — pulling out a set of porcelain cups in a tight tasting room should be silent, swift, and beautiful.
The gaiwan tote — natural linen was prototyped alongside trainers at tea.school, where students move through three to four brewing stations daily and need quick access to everything from a 100 ml gaiwan to a small fairness pitcher. The cake-cloth roll — charcoal reinterprets the traditional cloth bundle with an adjustable tie and a breathable inner layer, ideal for short-distance transport of sheng pu-erh cakes. The sommelier knapsack — natural carries a full gongfu travel kit plus a laptop or notebook, born from weekly restaurant residencies run by our head sommelier. Finally, the tea-tray carry case — black canvas is a purpose-built shell for standard 40 cm × 30 cm bamboo trays, protecting the tray surface and containing any residual moisture.
Each piece is produced in limited runs by sandry-law, an atelier known for thoughtful, low-waste production methods. The result is a carry kit that feels authentic to tea practice — not a fashion afterthought, but a tool that earns its place in your daily service.
This season’s carry collection
Four pieces shaped by feedback from sommeliers, trainers and tea travelers — stocked in modest quantities to ensure attentive making.