As we look forward to a brighter 2022, we are excited about the growing interest in tea, herbal and wellness blends, which has continued to increase over the past two years.
We have experienced growth in many sectors across different consumer industries regarding the use and benefits of tea and herbals, as people around the world have become more focused on health and well-being.
Innovation in new products that incorporate the use of tea is at an all-time high. There is also raised awareness of the health benefits of consuming teas and herbal blends as a support to a healthier life, regulating energy levels and creating a feeling of calm.
Here are 14 tea trends or topics to pay attention to in 2022, from the tea industry perspective in Australia:
1. Tea and a Holistic Approach to Health
Consumers continue to have a more holistic approach to health and well-being and see tea and herbals as a great way to support this. Approximately 70 percent of Australians believe antioxidants are beneficial to health and they find it appealing when it’s incorporated into a beverage. Overall, tea is seen as a great way of promoting these health benefits. It's even being touted as a hangover cure, promoting energy, mental clarity and the reduction of stress.
2. The Impact of Plant-based Milks on Tea
The increase of plant-based products into the market – particularly plant-based milk varieties, such as almond, oat and soy milk – has created a need for an improved variety of teas and chai blends that work well with these plant-based milks.
3. Tea and a Variety of Innovative Uses
Tea is now being used in food, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, personal care, household care and pet care. I believe manufacturers will continue to utilize the health benefits and unique flavor profile of teas and herbals to promote and develop new opportunities in the market.
4. High Interest in Single Origin Teas
There is an increased interest in single origin teas, small farmers and their stories particularly alongside good cafes serving specialty coffee. This will continue to evolve as these cafes and hospitality venues create specialty tea menus to match their specialty coffee offerings.
5. Tea and the Culinary World
Regarding the food industry, the evolution from tea being just a hot drink to being used in cooking has been very rapid. We now see tea being used across many different sectors of the hospitality industry. The increase in home cooking over the past years has seen people become more innovative and excited to cook and prepare food using new ingredients like tea and experiment with a variety of new flavors. Matcha has become a favorite in desserts, chocolate and with baking.
6. Tea and Non-alcoholic Beverages
My business is constantly receiving inquiries for tea and herbal blends to be developed for use in bases for non-alcoholic beverages that have a functional quality (for example, for mental well-being support and immunity boosting benefits. Non-alcoholic wines and low alcohol wines are now available in bottle shops, so this sector is expanding rapidly. “Dry January” and “Dry July” are now promoted annually in many countries as the focus on healthy living increases.
7. Tea Benefits from Less Interest in Sodas
Consumer consumption of and interest in sugary, fizzy drinks in a can or bottle is decreasing rapidly. Instead, the use of natural sweeteners and natural fruit extracts, herbal infusions, wellness and functional brews are being bottled and canned. Still and sparkling brews are both highly popular – many with tea – and some innovative brewers are even using the addition of nitrogen to charge the beverage with bubbles upon opening.
8. Tea and Alcohol
The use of green tea in the spirits and bar sector is exciting as brands, bartenders and mixologists experiment with different teas in cocktails, kombucha, natural bitters, tea syrups and iced tea infusions. In the manufacturing of spirits, tea is being used more often as a base for gins, tea wines, vodka and liqueurs.
9. Tea and Personal Care Products
In the personal care sector, tea is a great choice because of its antioxidant properties and its natural anti-aging compounds, which make a great inclusion in the cosmetic sector. “Clean beauty” is one of the leading trends in personal care and green tea makes an excellent ingredient in many beauty product formulas. It has long been popular, particularly in the Korean and Japanese market, to use green tea in cosmetics, and now the western market embraces tea extract as an appealing additive in beauty care, based on its purported health and anti-aging benefits. For example, hair shampoos, conditioners and hair masks all all being formulated to regenerate the hair by using green tea extract.
10. Tea and Household Products
Tea is also being introduced in the household care market, from cleaning products to pet care items, as an added benefit because of tea’s fresh and natural scent. Tea is even being used in washing liquids in some countries, as an aid to remove bacteria from fruits and vegetables.
11. Innovative Technology for Home, On-the-Go or Café Brewing
New and easier technology for home and café brewing allows a person to easily have the know-how to brew tea using the correct water temperature and brewing time. This is making it easier for people to make and enjoy or serve in a simpler way.
12. Tea and CBD
I believe the CBD sector will be an interesting one to watch grow as it becomes more acceptable in more markets around the world, and as the tea industry blends it into teas.
13. Innovation with Other Ingredients
Herbal teas like guayusa and mushroom powders, ayurvedic ingredients like tulsi, and immune-boosting olive leaf – as well as the words “Vitamin Rich” – will continue to be included in more and more tea blends. Exotic ingredients – such as our own Australian native ingredients like kakadu plum, plus new and unique flavors like lemon myrtle, finger lime, Davidson plum and strawberry gum – are gaining interest globally due to their high vitamin content and immune-boosting properties. The addition of collagen to teas and powdered wellness beverages is flourishing, and it’s now a natural inclusion in special powder tea bags to help support skin and joints.
14. Tea and Packaging, Certifications
The requirement for packaging to be biodegradable has become an industry standard, and many companies are pursuing bidegradable packaging if they don’t already utilize it. At the same time, the past two years has seen organic certification requests decrease, which is often a major component of some tea packaging.
In the end – whether tea is in a tea bag or packed loose leaf, blended with wellness ingredients, single origin, or just an added ingredient – my prediction is to watch the tea sector flourish in 2022 and the coming years ahead. Take note of ingredient listings and I am sure that you will see the simple words of “contains tea extract” appear many times over in the world around us.
Editor’s Note: Be sure to download the new World Tea white paper, “2022 Tea Industry Trends, Issues & Innovation.” The white paper features the article you’re reading now, as well as others like it. To download the free paper, CLICK HERE.
Sharyn Johnston is CEO of the Australian Tea Masters Association Pty Ltd. Her company currently produces and exports more than 12 tons of tea and wellness blends. She also educates in modern tea mastery, tea blending and tea sommelier training, providing training to various sectors of the hospitality industry – both locally and internationally. Visit AustralianTeaMasters.com.au. Editor’s Note: This article – and others like it – will be featured in the upcoming World Tea white paper, “2022 Tea Industry Trends, Issues and Innovation,” covering a wide variety of key topics. Be sure to watch for the upcoming white paper, which will be available to download at World Tea News.
Plan to Attend or Participate in the
World Tea Conference + Expo, March 21-23, 2022
To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 21-23, 2022. The event will be celebrating its 20th anniversary, in addition to being co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the World Tea Conference + Expo, contact:
Veronica Gonnello
(for companies A to G)
e: [email protected]
p: 212-895-8244
Tim Schultz
(for companies H to Q)
e: [email protected]
p: (917) 258-8589
Fadi Alsayegh
(for companies R to Z)
e: [email protected]
p: 917-258-5174
Also, be sure to stay connected with the World Tea Conference + Expo on social media, for details and insights about the event. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.