Crafting Tea Culture in a Speciality Coffee World

An interview with Dorien Selleslagh, founder of MIST TEA.

Dorien is drinking tea blissfully in front of her store MIST TEA in Mechelen

Lorela: You started in speciality coffee. What led you to shift your focus to tea, and was there a moment when you realised this would be your path?

Dorien: I began my journey in the world of speciality coffee, working with OR Coffee, where I was also responsible for the tea segment. At the time, tea was more of an afterthought in most coffee environments—it wasn’t given the same respect or attention. But being close to it every day, I started to get curious.

The first real turning point came in 2016, when I travelled to Taiwan with my partner, a photographer and creator by nature, to create a book about tea. When we visited Alishan, one of the most iconic tea-growing regions in Taiwan, it was truly eye-opening about the limitations of our knowledge about tea. We met producers, sat with them, tasted tea they had just made, and it opened up a whole new world for me. I hadn’t gone to Taiwan intending to start a business, but the experience stayed with me. That’s really where the seed for MIST TEA was planted—through that mix of chance, taste, and deep connection.

Geert De Taeye (photograph) & Dorien Selleslagh (founder of MIST TEAS)

Lorela: Why did you choose to focus on Taiwanese tea specifically? What keeps you going back?

Dorien: Taiwanese tea has this beautiful combination of quality, innovation, and warmth. The tea itself is extraordinary—complex, balanced, and aromatic—but what keeps me committed are the producers. The people behind the tea are craftsmen and women who are constantly experimenting. They’ve shared white teas with me, even started exploring powdered oolong, and are refining cold brew formats that are incredibly nuanced.

Taiwanese tea has this beautiful combination of quality, innovation, and warmth.

Every time I go back to Taiwan, I feel like something has evolved. I keep close contact with the producers year-round, and that relationship is essential. When I choose a tea, it’s not based on market trends—it's about a personal connection. I have to love “that” tea first. That’s always where it begins.

Dorien when visiting the tea plantation in Taiwan with the tea producers

Lorela: How do you define "speciality tea," and what do you think is still misunderstood about tea in the West?

Dorien: There’s still a huge gap in understanding what tea can be. In the West, tea is often just a supermarket product—a bag of flavoured dust labelled “lemon ginger” or “detox blend.” People don’t realise that white, green, black, and oolong teas all come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis).  What makes them different is how they’re processed.

For me, speciality tea means transparency. It means knowing your producers, understanding the terroir, and respecting the plant.

It’s also about steeping the leaves more than once, understanding the energy behind the cup. And most of all, it’s about care—just like in speciality coffee.

Lorela: MIST TEA has become the go-to tea brand in speciality coffee spaces. How did you make that happen, especially in a coffee-dominated country like Belgium?

Dorien: It’s been a process of education and persistence. At first, tea wasn’t even considered a serious option in cafés or restaurants. It was often served poorly—boiling water poured over a bag, no training, no care. We had to start from scratch. I visited venues, did tastings, trained teams on how to brew and talk about tea, and slowly started to build relationships.

At first, tea wasn’t even considered a serious option in cafés or restaurants.

The biggest challenge is that tea takes time. You need precision and patience, just as when preparing a great espresso. But the reward is there—tea can bring depth and calm into service. We saw that chefs and baristas were curious, especially once they realised that tea could be treated like wine or coffee, in terms of pairing and storytelling.

Lorela: What’s your take on the current state of the speciality tea scene in Belgium?

Dorien: It’s evolving—and matcha has been a big part of that shift. I see a lot of younger people discovering tea through matcha. They come into the shop and ask for it directly, sometimes without even knowing what other kinds of tea exist. That kind of single-point entry is powerful. It creates curiosity.

MIST TEA also offers a compact and high-quality matcha selection in their shop.

We're also seeing the rise of new tea brands—some focusing on powdered tea formats, others on cold brews. There’s a sense of momentum, even if it’s still a niche. Belgium’s not London or Paris in terms of tea culture, but something is definitely happening. People are tasting more, travelling more, and asking better questions.

Lorela: How do you curate the teas for, and how does design help communicate them?

Dorien: Every tea we carry is sourced directly from Taiwan. I work with producers who know us, who send samples, and who love to experiment. Some of the teas I’ve fallen in love with started as one-kilo test batches. When I visit, the tea masters brew everything themselves—those moments guide my decisions.

I only bring in teas that I personally connect with. If I don’t love it, I won’t offer it. That’s my rule. The design and storytelling help people connect with the product. It’s not just about flavour—it’s about memory, culture, care. We want to give people a sense of place and craft, even before they take the first sip.

Dorien is picking up tea from the tea plantation.

Lorela: What helps you stay grounded in your tea practice while running the business?

Dorien: Tea is part of my daily rhythm—I drink it every day, at home or at the shop. I use a gaiwan or teapot, or make cold brews, depending on the season. But what really grounds me is sharing it. Whenever someone comes for a tasting—especially someone thinking of starting a tea business—I feel this energy. It reminds me of why I started.

I also stay in touch daily with our producers. That back-and-forth exchange of ideas, updates, and seasonal changes keeps me rooted. It’s a living relationship with the people who make it possible.

Lorela: How do you stay connected with the international tea community?

Dorien: Honestly, I’m not as connected as I used to be. When we only had the webshop and B2B model, I had time to travel, attend fairs, and meet others in the tea world. But when we opened our physical shop, it changed everything. You’re tied to one place.

I’ve started reconnecting recently—like attending a Japanese tea class—and I’d love to do more. I think every tea business owner needs that external perspective, even if it’s just to feel inspired again.

Lorela: What advice would you give someone looking to explore tea deeply or open their own business?

Dorien: 

Taste everything. Travel. If you’re in Europe, visit cities like London, Paris, or Berlin—they have great tea shops, tastings and workshops.

Try everything from traditional Chinese teas to experimental infusions. And if you can, go to the origin—visit Taiwan, Japan. Seeing tea production up close changes your perspective. You understand the human hands behind it all.

Also: share tea. Host tastings, talk to people. The more you engage, the more you learn. That’s how I started, and it’s still how I grow.

Lorela: What’s your vision for MIST TEA and for tea culture in Europe?

Dorien: One of my dreams is to open a space that brings coffee and tea together. I still love coffee, and I think there’s space for both. Imagine a bar where you can order a top-quality oolong or an expertly pulled espresso—where both are treated with the same respect.

For MIST TEA, I want us to stay true to Taiwan and the way we work: carefully, thoughtfully, respectfully. If people think of us and associate that with beauty and quality, I’ll feel like we’ve done something worthwhile.