Linguist Christopher J. Moore, author of Other Words: A Language Lover's Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World, noted that “meraki” is one of his favorite words in an NPR article.
According to Moore, “meraki” is a word that modern Greeks often use to describe doing something with “soul, creativity and love,” such as when you put “something of yourself” into whatever you’re doing.
Nika Szeremeta, the sales and marketing manager for Meraki Artisan Teas, said, “This phrase represents everything that we put into our handcrafted teas,” which are locally made in Richmond, B.C., Canada.
On a Mission to Create Unique, Authentic and Premium Products
Meraki Artisan Teas was launched five years ago by Szeremeta’s parents – Bill (the owner) and Rama (the controller), who have been in the foodservice industry for more than 30 years. They started the business because they observed an increased demand for high-quality, Canadian-produced whole-leaf tea at an accessible price.
After they noticed a gap in the market for a robust Canadian tea brand, Szeremeta’s parents decided to take the opportunity to create something of their own. “They noted everything they felt was missing in the tea market and, with their expertise in the food and beverage industry, knew precisely how to market the product to the industry,” shared Szeremeta.
The company’s overall mission is to offer customers unique, authentic and premium products that meets and exceeds that demand in every cup. “We believe that the quality of our handcrafted blends provides people with a unique tea drinking experience that sets our product apart from competitors,” explained Szeremeta.
Meraki Artisan Teas currently offers 22 different blends of handcrafted teas, and they produce a wide assortment, including black, green, herbal, and their newest segment of functional wellness teas. Their high-quality teas and ingredients are responsibly sourced from ethical growers worldwide.
“We carry 16 traditional teas and a variety of six for our wellness line,” said Szeremeta. “Since we pride ourselves on being environmentally friendly, Meraki Artisan Teas come in a biodegradable tea sachet and a recyclable overwrap film. Since most of our business is in the foodservice industry, we have created reusable bamboo display racks for our clients that come in six count, eight count and nine count.”
Meraki Artisan Teas primarily works in the foodservice and retail space in Canada, but they recently launched in the United States and are looking to take their products worldwide. In addition to B2B wholesale, they also sell their teas direct to consumer.
“I believe that the quality of our product is unparalleled from our other competitors on the market,” said Szeremeta. “When we meet with a potential [B2B] client, we simply open our tea bags and let the aroma speak for itself. Additionally, I think what makes us stand out is that we aren't found in every coffee bar in the market, similar to a few brands out there. We offer our clients the opportunity to sell a product that is unique to their customers and that they can't find in every establishment, helping them stand out. Our vibrant color-coded packaging and distinctive name also create recognition, featuring keywords representing our brand on the side of our tea boxes. We put an enormous amount of love and thought into our brand, and I believe that our product speaks for itself.”
Building a Rapport with Coffeehouse Operators, Foodservice, Retail
The Meraki Artisan Teas team has a lot of experience in the food and beverage industry, and how that experience translates to that industry – as well as to the coffee world – is benefiting their tea sales.
“Being in the food and beverage industry for so many years has given us the rare vantage point and insight into how well we know the market,” said Szeremeta. “What works and what doesn't. This insight has allowed us to tailor the product, tea accessories and marketing to what we noticed was missing from the market and elevate the existing factors.”
Szeremeta said this in-depth experience allows the Meraki team to know what B2B clients and consumers are looking for before they’ve even had a conversation with them. “Before we walk into an account, we ask ourselves who, what, where, when and why. What are they looking to get out of this meeting, and what is their intention? I strongly believe that our experience in the hot beverage industry has definitely benefited and increased our tea sales in this way.”
A few years ago, when the Maraki team would meet with coffeehouse operators to discuss tea, it felt like it was more of an afterthought for them. However, in the last few years, Szeremeta said the market has expanded, and more coffeehouse businesses and roasters are starting to come to them wanting to either elevate their current tea program or to create one.
“The tea industry itself has been shifting recently,” Szeremeta said. “Coffeehouse operators used to be able to sell cheap 10-cent tea bags, but consumers have started demanding higher quality products and are willing to pay for them. They would rather pay more for a product they will enjoy. These companies will not only make more money, but they will also get repeat business, if the consumers like their product. And as a coffeehouse operator, it provides another stream of revenue and the profit they make with a higher quality tea, meaning they can get away with selling it for more, which will, in turn, help pay for their rent, staff, etc. Everything comes full circle. However, that does not come without its own set of challenges to make people in the coffee industry realize that.”
Recently, Meraki Artisan Teas participated in the Specialty Coffee Expo in Boston, and the company received an “incredible” reaction from coffee businesses. “Our team was surprised with how many coffee roasters we met at the show in Boston that didn't have a tea program and were currently looking for one.”
Tea Trends and Wellness Teas
In terms of tea trends, Szeremeta said that premium tea being is being purchased more by consumers since the COVID-19 pandemic, including wellness teas, and more consumers are shopping for locally made products and considering sustainability. “We have been paying attention to and implementing these trends in our corporate mandate,” said Szeremeta.
Meraki’s wellness teas do very well, according to Szeremeta, but she said it’s critical they understand the target demographic and how to market these teas to make them successful. “They won't be seen in every restaurant establishment, but they do fantastic in spas, hotels, health-conscious establishments and retail locations,” revealed Szeremeta.
When Meraki first decided to launch a wellness tea line, they believed they found a hole in the market in terms of the available products. “We quickly realized that we saw extremely functional brands in terms of their ingredients, but the quality of the tea, flavor and imagination was lacking,” said Szeremeta. “On the other hand, we also saw brands with ingredients that had no intention of being functional and were trying to profit off the trend.”
The goal behind Meraki’s wellness line was to create a high-quality product that was functional but tasted good. An example of this can be seen in the ingredient list of their Digestion tea, which includes ginger, peppermint, dandelion leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, lemon balm, licorice, fennel, burdock root, cornflower petals and natural flavors.
“I believe the interest in wellness teas will continue, especially since COVID has made people more conscious of their health than ever before,” Szeremeta noted. “We saw a huge spike in this trend during the pandemic.”
Thoughts on Supply Chain, Sustainability Issues
From Szeremeta’s vantage, the most important issue in the tea industry right now is the supply chain. “Throughout the pandemic, we have seen a lot of businesses, not just the tea industry, struggling with supply chain issues,” she said. “Everything from price increases and packaging issues to shipping delays has been affected. It's been hard to watch a lot of companies fold under. The pandemic taught us early on that we would have to figure out how to get creative and be incredibly diligent about forecasting. We have been fortunate during the pandemic that it gave us time, which we wouldn't have otherwise had, to tighten our daily operations. We were lucky and grew at a rapid rate during the pandemic.”
Considering the environment and sustainability, both of these issues are at the forefront of the Meraki Artisan Teas’ mission statement. “As a Canadian company, we take these issues very seriously and are always trying to evolve and be as environmentally friendly as possible,” stated Szeremeta. “We are proud that our tea is sustainably sourced, we use biodegradable triangle-shaped tea sachets, and our overwrap is 100 percent recyclable. We are also very conscious of our carbon footprint throughout the supply chain.”
‘We Hope to Continue Expanding Worldwide’
On the wholesale front, Szeremeta said Meraki Artisan Teas is looking for like-minded individuals who want to build up the tea side of their business.
“We hope to continue expanding worldwide, especially into the U.S. market…” said Szeremeta, who’s excited about the opportunity to help businesses start a profitable tea program, or help them figure out what they can do better with their current program.
To learn more about Meraki Artisan Teas, visit MerakiArtisanTeas.com.
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