Tetley Predicts Contraceptive, Pain Killer “Remedy Teas”

Tetley foresees a future where “remedy teas,” teas enriched with medicines such as painkillers, antibiotics, and contraceptives, are readily available. “The benefit is that whatever the medicine, from birth control to antibiotics and painkillers, it could be available in a far more palatable format than a pill,” Laurent Sagarra, Global Head of Innovation, Compliance and Quality at Tetley, told the Mirror “Also, you may forget to take your pill but you never miss your morning cuppa.” Working with a group of futurologists, Tetley issued a “Future of Tea” report that predicts the industry will evolve at a faster rate in the next 10 years than it has in the 350 years since tea was first introduced in the U.K. Other predictions from the “Future of Tea” report:

• Smart devices and wearable technology will continuously monitor the state of people’s bodies and minds so they can have personalized cups of tea based on their individual vital signs. According to the report, a third of Brits will be actively tracking their health data and—with an increasing appetite for personalization—using this data to create bespoke tea blends.
• The “grow and blend your own tea” trend will see the rise of the domestic blender who uses smart tools and takes advantage of rising global temperatures to grow tea plants for home blending and brewing.
• New tea formats will take tea beyond its liquid form. The intensifying needs of time-poor, health-seeking and convenience-hungry consumers of the future will result in a growing market for products such as tea shots. Providing an intense burst of tea-on-the-go, tea sprays, tablets, and strips are set to be available within the next decade.
• “Tea total bars” will serve everything from traditional blends to tea-based mocktails in a variety of exotic flavors.

Sources: Tetley’s Future of Tea Report, Mirror