Reflecting on winning three awards at the 2025 Global Tea Championship at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas, Cody Yu, the owner of Leesburg-rooted Seven Tea House said, “if you keep doing good things, good things will happen.”

The site of the biggest tea event in the world, the expo in March, saw over 1,000 companies submit samples to the championship. Judges evaluated submissions in numerous categories including leaf teas such as white, green, oolong, black, and pu’er, while also holding awards for matchas.

The Imperial Dragon Well, a staple Seven Teahouse item, won two awards – one for the best overall pan-fired green tea, and another for having the best leaf profile among green teas. The Leesburg shop also took home the best pu’er leaf profile award for its Golden Spring Pu’er-shou.

Those wins mark the first time a Virginia-based tea house has been victorious at this level.

Yu said he wants to bring the 5,000-year history of tea in China to the Leesburg community and explained the lore behind his award-winning Imperial Dragon Well tea.

“It’s one of the most famous green teas in China,” Yu said.

He said Dragon Well leaves originate from a small town in West Lake, China. Yu also said that the name dragon could only be bestowed by an emperor.

Dragon well green teas are the top green tea in China every year, according to Yu. He said people “fight for it” every spring, adding that it took Seven Tea House a lot of effort to get the first harvest.

Seven Tea House cooperates with tea farmers in China and sources “a very high standard” of fresh leaves, Yu said.

Yu and his aunt began their venture in the farmers market in One Loudoun two years ago. He said a many people came to know and love the tea, leading the two to open the shop in the Village at Leesburg last year.

“We always wanted to have a shop,” Yu said. “Even though there’s a lot of tea shops in the United States, a lot of tea shops – but as people know, most of the tea shops are bubble tea. They don’t know what real tea should taste like.”

Yu runs the shop with an educational angle, utilizing his tea knowledge to give customers in-depth explanations of how different types of tea are made, where those teas come from, and the health benefits packed into each product. He also hosts tea classes, called Tea Sense.

Yu said the classes serve as a sensory experience, where participants can “slow down their lives” and see, touch, taste, and smell the tea. The class also emphasizes the myriad health benefits provided by different teas.

“What’s the best for your body, and what’s the best taste for your mouth?” Yu asked. “Everybody’s going to give me a different answer. It’s not about, ‘I recommend this, this is good tea for everybody.’ You should find a good tea for yourself.”

He gave an example, making note that pu’er tea is good for people with digestive and bloating problems. Pu’er also boasts a richer, earthier taste, which Yu said makes for a great coffee substitute.

Yu said he wanted to do more promotion for their pu’er tea, because he wants people to know they have more options than green and black tea. Seven Tea House’s victory in the pu’er category is a result of that dedication, especially given the high standard of competition, Yu said.

The three judges, also known as tea masters, would have thrown away samples of tea before trying them if the leaf shape wasn’t up to par, Yu said. After that, they test the tea for mouth feel, flavor, aroma, and then do a second brewing with the same leaves to see how well the flavor sticks. There’s also a purity test, where the masters judge how clear looking the tea is.

The winning teas, including the Seven Tea House originals, were presented for a tasting at the tea bar during the expo.

“We always have a good standard for tea,” Yu said. “We feel pretty excited because we didn’t expect that these things would come so fast. It’s only the second year for us, so we are happy to share the news to the local community– let people know where you can find good tea. If you’re living in this area, come here to check it out.”

Seven Tea House is located at 1607 Village Market Blvd., Suite 104 in Leesburg. To learn more, go to seventeahouse.com.