Tea is one of the fastest growing segments of the beverage industry. Year after year, research continues to show increased demand for tea in both the raw and ready to drink options. Afterall, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world behind water. Due to the increased focus on tea’s health benefits, it is no surprise that tea consumption continues to rise, leaving some tremendous opportunity for teahouses and cafes in 2022 and beyond.
This year, it all comes down to health and education. This includes understanding the benefits of tea and the growing tisane market, and educating yourself, your team and your customers on the benefits of tea consumption. Health and education will continue to be on trend, growing stronger as more and more people seek out ways to maintain healthier lifestyles.
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.
Focus on Health
It seems that more and more people are seeking out additional ways to add health benefits to their lifestyle. This can include exercise, eating and drinking healthy, meditation and practicing mindfulness. In fact, if anything positive has come out of the global pandemic, it’s an increase in interest in creating a naturally healthy lifestyle. That is good news for those in the tea and herbal industries.
Tea’s health benefits continue to be explored and promoted among those in the tea industry. Several times a year, studies are published in leading medical journals that include new or confirmed health benefits of consuming tea. From cardiovascular health to inflammation, stress relief to creating calming effects, focusing on health through tea consumption is a way to expand consumers’ desire for more tea.
In addition to traditional teas, many consumers are inquiring about the health benefits of tisanes (herbal teas). Whether it’s a search on the Internet or learning about it from a friend, there has been a substantial increase in interest of what herbs can do for you, health wise. While many tea shops focus on Camellia sinensis, they should look at ways to incorporate herbs to increase their offerings, as well as add additional health benefits that may not be seen by consuming tea alone. This can include offering raw herbs for consumers to create their own blends, to creating proprietary blends for your teahouse.
Focus on Education
It is of utmost importance that we, as tea professionals, understand and can accurately articulate the true nature of tea. Whether that means understanding the health benefits, discussing the history or providing proper brewing techniques, we should all take the time to be as fully educated as we can to provide the best service to our guests. There are several programs available that provide training on many aspects of tea, such as World Tea Academy. Additionally, there are unlimited resources of books and online journals.
We should be taking every opportunity we can, as tea industry leaders, to hone our knowledge and ensure that we are staying up to date on the latest information available in our industry. Likewise, we should be sharing this information with our teams and our guests. Our team members play a vital role in educating our guests about tea as they often have the most interaction with our guests. To ensure they are sharing the proper information, consider sharing books or online resources with your team. Many times, they want to be able to provide the best information, but they may not know where to find it.
With so many new consumers enjoying tea, this is the perfect opportunity to provide quality education to them. If we don’t teach them, we run the risk of them learning from an unqualified source (like somewhere on the Internet that may or may not provide accurate information). We have such a great opportunity to educate our guests, which allows us to also make qualified recommendations for what might be best for them.
Capitalizing on Health & Education
Understanding the focus on health and education, and its importance in 2022, will help us strategize about how best to assist our guests and capitalize on their positive impacts.
First, think of ways that you can make tea’s health benefits a focal point at your establishment during the year. One way we do that is to create unique blends using tea and herbals. We will then provide them to our guests to try, as samples, and for purchase. We also look at unique was of utilizing tea besides as a beverage. For example, can you use a tea or herb in a recipe? What other ways can we incorporate tea and herbs into our diet? What can we do for skin health? The ideas for incorporating teas into our everyday lifestyle are endless, and guests want to do that, but they just need guidance. That’s where we come in.
Second, it’s important to let your guests know about tea in general. Start by providing signage throughout your establishment, focusing on general education about tea. If you have a section of black tea, create signage that lists some interesting facts about tea, and a second sign with proper stepping techniques. When guests feel educated, they are more likely to try something than if they just see the product sitting on the shelf. Additionally, consider offering a program for customers to attend. Perhaps focus on different aspects of tea. Programs like “How to Properly Steep Your Tea” would encourage guests and customers to come and learn, while you can also promote your products. These can be held throughout the year and can even be themed to the seasons.
Third, don’t forget to promote all that you are doing. Take the time to set up social media posts that focus on educating customers about tea and tisanes. Use social media as a tool for education as well as promotion. And don’t forget to promote any events or activities you are hosting.
Through the sharing of tea education, teahouses and cafes can continue to see increased traffic and sales. By being a resource to those seeking to better understand tea, teahouses and cafes have the opportunity to continue to grow and see even better returns in 2022 and beyond.
World Tea Conference + Expo 2022 speaker Kelly Hackman, owner of The White Heron Tea & Gifts and Driftwood Tea Company in historic downtown New Port Richey, Fla., is a World Tea Academy Certified Tea Sommelier and Certified Tea Specialist, in addition to being an Etiquette Consultant. Hackman has created a unique tea escape at her tearoom, which has assisted in transforming her town’s historic landscape and assists in drawing guests to the area from throughout the Southeastern United States. Hackman will present “A Partnership of Tea and Beer” at the upcoming 2022 World Tea Conference + Expo. Visit TheWhiteHeronFL.com and DriftwoodTeaCompany.com.
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.