3 Reasons The World Is Drinking More Tea
Tea drinking is on the rise at home and in hospitality, but probably not in the way we used to know it. Gone are the days of cucumber sandwiches, sweetened milk and sugar cubes. Modern tea is less about comfort, and more about experience.
1. It's an experience
Today, experience is social currency. Modern tea drinkers share their lives on social media, and tea presents ample opportunity to create memorable (and shareable) hotel and restaurant experiences.
Take Afternoon Tea, a social ritual with endless potential for adaption. From dainty desserts to fun and creative themes, it’s just the thing for a generation of tea drinkers craving novelty and exclusivity. So why not serve your own unique take on afternoon tea, and help your business stand out?
2. It's good for us
Today’s tea drinkers are more health-conscious than generation past. This gives tea brands a big advantage. There’s plenty of evidence in support of tea’s health benefits, antioxidant content being perhaps the most obvious.
Tea is packed with antioxidants; natural substances that fight off nasty stuff entering the body through air pollution, processed food or drinking too much alcohol. Seeing that these are common features of modern life, it’s no wonder consumers are looking for something that lessens their effects.
Many modern tea drinkers are young professionals without time for trendy diets and yoga classes. For them drinking tea is a way to incorporate a simple wellness ritual into their everyday without bending over backwards (no pun intended).
Tea may also be preferable to coffee when it comes to staying alert. The caffeine in tea is coupled with L-theanine, an amino acid that slows down its effects.
You get the increased alertness and concentration that comes with caffeine, just without the crash. Perfect! Tea’s wellness renaissance creates plenty opportunity to offer unique takes on the beverage, and give tea-lovers something they wouldn’t find elsewhere. Think superfood smoothies made with green tea or matcha power, tea-based mocktails as a chic evening alternative, or black tea as a replacement to a morning or post-lunch coffee.
3. It's (More) sustainable
Modern tea drinkers are aware of their lifestyles’ environmental impact, and the effect they have on developing countries.
This makes a purchase decision a question of ethics, as well as mere preference. Like everything, tea has carbon footprint. That said, it’s a smaller one than many other beverages. Per serving, it contributes considerably less greenhouses gases than coffee or beer.
To put it into perspective, the carbon emissions produced by a year of drinking tea once a day is about the same as one 63km car journey. A year of drinking coffee once a day, on the other hand, is the equivalent of a 647km car journey.
Tea’s a clear winner when it comes to sustainability. Tea brands like Lipton or Pukka put organic and Fairtrade labels on their packaging. They also endorse initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint and improve the living and working conditions of suppliers in developing countries.
Tea’s favourable eco-credentials make it the first choice among consumers seeking a clear conscience. Why not market your tea offering as a more sustainable alterative to coffee or beer?
Conclusion
Now that you’re aware of the trends driving sales in tea, it’s time to think how your business can use this magnificent leaf to create something unique. Need more inspiration? Get it here.
Refrences:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/jun/17/carbon-footprint-of-tea-coffee
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3343868/Tea-soothes-a-troubled-mind-say-scientists.html
https://www.idhsustainabletrade.com/project/trustea/
http://www.tealeafjournal.com/antioxidants.html
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/shopping-guide/tea
https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/138/8/1572S/4750819
