Teas and Peas: When Yolan and Hans Let Their Worlds Collide

What happens when a creative vegan chef and a passionate tea sommelier bring their worlds together ... a sensory celebration told through five surprising acts.

Yolan Bamps is the creative mind behind the plant-based kitchen of Lento. In his hands, vegetables, herbs, fruits and wild ingredients become expressive creations filled with colour, contrast and personality.

Hans Baeten built a career in IT, but tea remained his lifelong passion. After qualifying as a tea sommelier, he travelled to tea plantations and mountain communities in places including Malawi, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. There, he searched for exceptional teas and the exceptional people behind every leaf. Through Tea Kulture, he works directly with small producers and tea gardens that place nature, craftsmanship and human connection at their heart.

For every pairing during Teas & Peas, Hans and Yolan begin with one shared flavour idea. Hans selects a tea with enough character to do more than simply accompany the dish. Yolan translates its terroir, aromas and natural flavour layers into an original plant-based creation. Together, they search for that magical moment when one plus one suddenly becomes three.

But who are these two gentlemen when they are not discussing flavour, terroir and texture? Time for a few unfiltered confessions.

The Unfiltered Confession

Yolan, which culinarily irresponsible dish could wake you in the middle of the night with an irresistible craving?

“Honestly, nothing can wake me. I sleep like a bear in December. But if I had to choose: a sausage roll. A vegan one for me, obviously.”

Hans, would you ever throw an ordinary tea bag into a mug on a particularly terrible day?

“The chances are extremely small. Even when I go on holiday, I bring a supply of my own tea.”

Honestly, we expected nothing less.

The Sacred Cows

Yolan, which popular vegan trend would you immediately banish from every menu?

“Violife vegan cheese. It’s incredibly unhealthy, full of fat, tastes terrible and smells awful. Why does this still exist? Truly disgusting.”

Consider that matter settled.

Hans, which statement about tea makes your inner tea sommelier immediately roll his eyes?

“Two absolute winners: ‘Tea is just flavoured water.’ Or: ‘I already drink coffee.’”

The Last Meal

For his final meal, Yolan may choose only five ingredients: “Morels, potatoes, red onion, sea aster and truffle sauce. And yes, of course I would remain vegan. Just because I’m dying doesn’t mean somebody else has to die.”

Hans would choose one final pot of Gorilla White, a white tea from Uganda, shared with his family. Nobody would be excluded. “Tea Kulture is all about connection. A good conversation over a delicious cup of tea could solve a lot of problems.”

Trouble at the Pairing Table

What happens when Hans declares one of Yolan’s favourite creations “impossible to pair with tea”?

“I will definitely listen,” Yolan says, “but I will also argue my case and adapt the dish until it works.”

And what if Yolan serves a brilliant dish that completely overshadows Hans’ carefully selected tea?

“I wouldn’t be offended at all. Good food and good tea are not competitors; they strengthen one another. It is about enhancing, discovering and hopefully starting a good conversation.”

That is precisely where Teas & Peas comes to life, through curiosity about what happens when two strong creative personalities truly meet.

And if Hans himself were a tea? He would be Silver Tips from Sri Lanka, made exclusively from young leaf buds: “Subtle and calm, yet still complex.”

We could not have described him better ourselves.

Teas & Peas

On Sunday, 27 September, Yolan and Hans will bring together five plant-based creations and five exceptional speciality teas around Farmatuur’s communal table. Intimate, informal and with plenty of time to taste attentively, discover something new and enjoy the experience together.

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Sunday, 27 September 2026 · 1:00–5:00 PM
Farmatuur Hasselt · The Garden
Five plant-based creations · Five speciality-tea pairings · Limited seating

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