The Global Tea Championship is designed to identify and reward the highest quality teas from around the globe. The competition features a wide range of categories, including:

Award Categories: Tea

Grand prize award for “Overall best tea”

Superior leaf award for “Best leaf appearance” in each tea type

• White
• Green
• Oolong
• Black
• Puerh

Superior liquor award for “Best cup character” in each tea type

• White
• Green
• Oolong
• Black
• Puerh

Premium award for “Best Tea” in each tea type

• White
• Green
•  Steamed
• Pan fired
• Oolong
• Long Oxidised
• Short Oxidised
• Black
•  Orthodox
• CTC
• Puerh
•  Sheng
• Shou

  Honourable mention award for the most Innovative tea

• Origin Awards
• Certificates for the best tea from each producing origin

Award Categories: Matcha

Grand prize award for “Overall best matcha”

Superior leaf award for “Best leaf appearance”

Superior liquor award  for “Best cup character”

Premium award for “Best matcha” in each tea type

• Ceremonial
• Culinary
• Honourable mention award for the most Innovative tea
• Origin awards
• Certificates for the best tea from each producing origin

Winning a Global Tea Championship award offers industry recognition and helps brands establish themselves as leaders in the competitive global tea market.

“As we open submissions for the 2025 World Tea Expo Global Tea Championship, we are reminded of the importance of recognising and celebrating the incredible diversity and quality within the global tea community,” said Tim McLucas, vice president of the hospitality group at Questex. “This competition not only honours excellence in tea production but also brings together a community of passionate professionals dedicated to advancing the tea industry. We look forward to discovering and celebrating the outstanding teas that will set the standard for quality and innovation in the coming year.”

Award winners will be announced at World Tea Expo which takes place March 24-26, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV.

For more information on submission guidelines, categories, and how to enter, click here.

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Four flavours of Clipper Tea’s everyday line are hitting shelves at over 1,600 Albertsons banner stores, including Acme, Safeway and Vons: Organic Decaf Black Tea, Organic Lemon & Ginger Herbal Tea, Organic Snore & Peace Chamomile & Lavender Herbal Tea and Organic Orange & Turmeric Herbal Tea.

Sprouts Farmers Market stores are now carrying four flavours from Clipper Tea’s existing portfolio: Organic Lemon & Ginger Herbal Tea, Organic English Breakfast Black Tea, Organic Mint Herbal Tea and Organic Snore & Peace Chamomile & Lavender Herbal Tea.

These new retail partnerships cap off a year of significant growth and innovation for Clipper Tea as the brand has grown 273% in value since 2023 according to recent Nielsen data. In February, the brand announced the addition of two new flavours to its US lineup – Organic Spicy Chai Herbal Tea and Organic Mint Herbal Tea – along with expanded distribution in retailers such as MOM’s Organic Market and Dave’s Fresh Marketplace, joining existing retail partners including Giant Food Stores and Town & Country Markets.

As the demand for organically grown tea continues to increase, specifically by a forecasted CAGR of 11.2% until 2027, due to the growing perception that clean-label products are safe and healthy, Clipper Tea’s commitment to making tea that is good for people and good for the planet uniquely positions the company to appeal to US consumers looking for organic premium teas that are sourced ethically and feature bold, 100% natural flavours. Additionally, younger generations have taken an interest in tea, with at least 87% of millennials that drink tea.

The Clipper Tea ‘tea guys’, Dan and James, travel the world in search of the finest tea gardens in Africa, India and Sri Lanka, carefully selecting and blending teas from different origins, each with unique characteristics influenced by the soil and climate. All flavors are blended and packed in Dorset, England, the same place as when the brand started 40 years ago, to create distinct, bright and bold flavor profiles.

2024 also marks the 40th anniversary for the brand, which has been a pioneer in ethical, sustainable tea production, purchasing Fairtrade certified green and black teas and Clipper Tea is Fairtrade’s first and longest-standing tea partner, leading the global market in Fairtrade tea sales and contributing over USD $7 million in Fairtrade Premiums. By supporting Fairtrade, Clipper Tea ensures farmers receive fair prices, fostering community development and strengthening resilience to climate change. Clipper Tea also uses plastic-free, plant-based, biodegradable, unbleached and non-GMO tea bags, along with recyclable and biodegradable individual tea bag envelopes packaged in recyclable boxes.

US shoppers can find Clipper Tea for purchase in retailers across the country and on Amazon.

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Producing just over one half of the world’s tea in 2023, China remains the world’s dominant tea producer. Global tea production rose by 3.2 percent over the previous year, from 6.4 to 6.6 million metric tonnes (mmt) and the Middle Kingdom accounted for 50.6 percent, or 3.3 mmt while increasing its production by 5 percent over the previous year. India took second place with 20.7 percent of global production, having increased its yield by 2 percent.

Kenya rounds out the top three producers with 8.6 percent of the world’s annual production. Taken together, these three producers accounted for 80 percent of global production in 2023.

The top four tea-producing countries saw gains in production, including Sri Lanka. Ceylon tea production increased by 1.8 percent after having experienced a tumultuous period of economic struggle and agricultural policies that stymied tea production levels. Argentina, a significant source of black teas for the US market, has seen steady production declines for several years. Argentine tea production decreased by 4.5 percent over 2022 levels. Given historic trends and that the major producers continue to increase their production, overall global tea production levels are expected to continue rising.

All graphs courtesy of FirsdTea

Unlike the other main tea-growing countries, China is primarily a green tea producer: 57.9 percent, or 1.9 mmt of its 2023 production was green tea, followed by 0.49 mmt of black tea. This green tea alone accounts for just under 30 percent of 2023 global tea volume. The remainder of China’s tea is dark (hei) at 13.7 percent, wulong at 10 percent, white at 3 percent, and yellow tea at 0.7 percent. In 2019, black tea surpassed dark tea as the second-largest segment of tea production. Since then, production volumes of the two have remained fairly close. The broader popularity of black tea, along with growing domestic demand for ready-to-drink (RTD) teas and black tea’s relatively high average export price speaks in favour of further gains in black tea production share.

China’s top four tea-producing provinces – Fujian, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou – accounted for half of China’s tea production, and they each showed increases in production of between 1 and 5 percent. Double-digit gains in production were exhibited by Hubei, the fifth largest producer with a 10.6 percent gain, and Anhui, the eighth largest producer with a 12.4 percent gain. While Fujian may be the single largest tea-producing province, the greatest share of tea is still grown in the Western Belt (35.3 percent from Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou provinces combined) followed by the Eastern Belt (25.7 percent from Fujian, Anhui, and Zhejiang). The Central Belt (Hubei, Hunan, and Shaanxi provinces) follows close behind with 22.2 percent of production.

Fujian may also be China’s top yielding tea province in terms of tons per hectare, but it is only fifth in terms of growing area. Yunnan province leads the pack with over 0.51 million hectares (mha) of tea fields, followed by Guizhou (0.47 mha), Sichuan (0.40 mha) and Hubei (0.38 mha). Fujian’s advantages lie in its warmer climate and more established production areas.

The Chinese government has encouraged the establishment of tea fields in the more poverty-impacted counties of the Central and Western Belts as a means of promoting rural development and strengthening local incomes. Efforts appear to have made progress, as the central government declared victory in eradicating poverty and now aims towards securing more infrastructure development and economic stability. For tea production, however, training these less-experienced workers continues. Outputs are expected to improve along with the maturity of young tea plants and the advancement of tea workers in the areas.

A notable exception is Guangdong province, which has the second highest yield per ha. The province does produce some well-known teas, like yingde black tea and dan cong wulong, but it is generally better known for its industrial output and commercial trade. Guangdong ranks ninth in overall tea production and thirteenth in hectares planted. It shows little sign of dedicating more land to future tea production.

China’s exports dip slightly

Global tea exports from producing countries declined by about 5 percent over the previous year, with China exports dipping by about 2 percent. China, however, maintained its place as the producing country with the second highest volume of exports. Kenya took the top position, having increased its exports by 14.7 percent over 2022 levels. Kenya accounted for 30.1 percent of global exports from producing countries. China’s 0.37 mmt of exports accounted for 21.2 percent of global exports from producing countries, and 11 percent of China’s annual production.

In terms of volume, 84.2 percent of China’s tea export was green tea and the next highest volume was black tea with 7.9 percent. Green tea exports remained relatively steady compared with 2022 levels, but black tea dropped by 12.6 percent over the previous year. This rise and fall in black export volumes coincided with a few factors. Supply of Ceylon black tea dropped in 2022. When this occurred, Pakistan and other major black tea-importing countries turned to China and others to meet their black tea demands. This surge stands in contrast with what occurred in other parts of the world, where tea imports increased in 2022 as buyers re-stocked after Covid, created supply chain woes, and then decreased their import levels in 2023 as they worked through excess inventory.

Morocco, China’s largest tea-export partner, showed a similar pattern. Most years, Morocco alone takes in about 20 percent of China’s exports, usually around 75,000 metric tonnes. 2020 saw a 9.6 percent decline in Chinese tea imports. The next two years saw import volumes return to usual levels, but 2023 levels declined again by about 16 percent from 75,400 metric tonnes to 59,800 metric tonnes. Ghana, which has been the third largest export destination, increased imports by 44 percent, swapping places with Uzbekistan. Taken together, these three countries import one third of China’s tea exports.

Russia and the United States took in 4 percent and 2.3 percent of China’s exports, respectively. Import volumes were down by 25.1 percent for Russia and 33.7 percent for the US. Overstocking was the main culprit for these declines, particularly for the US. Imports of Chinese teas into the US have been showing signs of rebalancing beginning early in 2024.

A strong outlook

China’s overall tea trends appear positive. Production levels are on track to increase around 4.5 to 5 percent based on average annual increases. Spring 2024 weather in most areas has cooperated, providing a healthy crop thus far. Development in tea producing areas, especially the Western and Central Belts, remains steady. Domestic consumer demand also appears to be on the uptick.

China’s tea industry has been highlighting the need for promoting demand, and recent years have seen an increase in the introduction of bottle teas and other tea-based RTD beverage products. Average export prices can be expected to stay steady between USD $5.50 to $6.00 per kg, although labour and farm inputs (fertiliser, agrochemicals) continue to rise. Export volumes are showing signs of rebounding after last year’s decline. With production and consumption rising, and exports recovering, China is poised to maintain its dominant role in global tea.

• Jason Walker is marketing director of Firsd Tea North America. Prior to his work with Firsd Tea, Walker served in a variety of roles in tea and beverage business capacities. His experience includes business services for small tea companies, a top-ranked online destination for tea consumer education and co-founding a coffee business. His insights draw upon his diverse range of experience in sales, operations and management in the tea world. He may be reached at: jason.walker@firsdtea.com.

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The country’s tea industry had also been affected by many factors, the most serious being the sharp decrease in tea production. Experts say that the main cause of the decline was the sudden ban on all agrochemicals including fertilisers from April to November 2021, decided by the then President Rajapaksa, who abruptly declared that the whole country would go organic without any preparation. Furthermore, soon after the ban was lifted, the price of imported fertilisers surged 20 to 30 times due to the Russia-Ukraine war, followed by the drastic depreciation of the SLR in the foreign exchange market. Consequently, the Sri Lanka’s annual tea production in 2022 was 251,499 metric tonnes (mt), a decrease of 16% from 299,488 mt in 2021, the lowest since 1995 when the yearly crop was 245,900 mt (Source: the Sri Lanka Tea Board).

“The year-on-year decline continued till January 2023, however, this February the crop increased to 18,715 mt from 18,163 mt last year. So, I expect from March the situation will improve, and positive growth from April onwards. Because now fertilisers are going into tea fields, as the price is coming down. Compared to conditions in early 2021, the price of fertilisers is still ten times, and the application is about 50% to 60%, but it is much better than last year. So, we predict the total tea production this year will be 270,000 to 280, 000 mt,” said Niraj De Mel, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB).

Fuel imports and supply in the country are also improving. The fuel situation is still tough but much better than the chaotic period in the first half of 2022. Similarly, electricity charges have soared three to four times, a heavy burden for not only private tea factories but also for households. However, the year-long rolling power cuts ended on 15 February this year.

“There are many challenges we face, both domestically and globally. In recent years, the Ceylon tea industry has been disrupted by the fertiliser ban, climate change, high inflation and rising input costs, as well as political issues. Internationally, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Iranian sanctions, global inflation, shipping and logistics problems, fluctuation in exchange rate and tea prices in the world market, have all had an impact,” explained Anil Cooke, managing director and CEO, Asia Siyaka Commodities PLC, adding that an oversupply of black tea, particularly from India and Kenya, has become a significant factor.

However, he noted that fertiliser availability has improved remarkably and costs for tea growers are falling. Furthermore, “freight rates have declined and we can ship our teas faster as more containers are available. The digital tea auction, which we switched to in April 2020, is [still] working well. So, I am optimistic that we will have a better second half in 2023”, said Cooke.

Apart from the economic turmoil in the country, De Mel expressed his concern about changes in weather patterns in tea planting districts, which might be an effect of global climate change. Tea quality seasons in this island nation are influenced by the two monsoons; the north-east monsoon from January to March which improves the quality in the western area, and the south-west monsoon from July to mid-September enhances the characteristic flavour in the Uva Province in the eastern region, especially the Uva seasonal tea, which is renowned for its exotic menthol-like flavour. However, the essential dry spell with cold nights, which is crucial for quality tea manufacture, has become unstable, and intermittent rainy days in the Uva season disturb the concentration of flavory components in the green leaf. “We cannot combat the weather or nature, but now some solutions are being sought with the latest studies and experiments at the Tea Research Institute. I’d like to see Sri Lanka coming back to what we were reputed for in the past,” De Mel said.

Despite the pandemic and economic and political difficulties, all projects to improve plantation workers’ welfare are continuing. Since 1992 when the majority of state-owned plantations were privatised with the formation of 23 Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs), the overall standard of life in plantations including housing, medical care, education, sanitation and so on, have considerably progressed. During the Covid outbreak, the estates provided face masks and hand sanitisers, measured body temperature of everyone three times a day, prepared patient wards for separation, and administered three vaccinations to 100 percent of plantation residents. “Therefore, I believe few suffered from the disease and no death was directly caused by Covid-19 in the plantation sector,” said Roshan Rajadurai, managing director of three RPCs; Talawakelle, Kelani Valley and Horana Plantations, belonging to the Hayleys Group.

Tea, rubber and coconuts plantations in the country have more than 100 years of history, and are now facing a severe shortage of workers, as younger generations tend to look for a better life in the big cities. “We cannot or shouldn’t stop the outflow of workers,” said Rajadurai. However, for a short period of time under the nation-wide lockdowns or curfews, many returned to the plantations and the RPCs offered them work and full support. For the sustainable future of plantations, the RPCs have gradually introduced the so-called ‘Revenue Share Model of Work’, in which workers can control their working hours, operations, and are paid based on their own output. In this model, workers are more independent, self-supervised, and earn nearly twice as much as in fully fixed routine work. “We have to change the 150-year-old plantation system to new models to meet the requirement of the times. The revenue share model is very efficient and the only method that can ensure the continuity of tea industry of Sri Lanka,” Rajadurai shared confidently.

• Yumi Nakatsugawa is a freelance writer specialising in food and restaurant management. While freelancing, she developed a love of black tea as well as tea-producing countries and tea people. Based in Japan, Yumi may be reached at: ym_n@nifty.com.

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In the Western world, black tea is still the most consumed tea beverage, particularly by older demographics. However, consumption levels remain substantially below production, resulting in a market where black tea has become highly undervalued. There needs to be significant changes within the industry, including a substantial expansion of the consumer base, to increase the value and create a sustainable market for black tea.

Low prices pose significant challenges to sustainability

“Black tea is hugely undervalued, it is being sold for barely the cost of production, and that is on a good day — it is usually below the cost of production,” said Shabnam Weber, president, Tea and Herbal Association of Canada. “Brands are placing a higher value on their green tea products, even in circumstances where both their black and green tea haven’t been blended with any other products and are in similar packaging.”

Although there has been an elevated interest in other teas and infusions, black tea remains the category sustaining most of the tea industry in the Western world. “When we are talking about wanting fair pricing and sustainability, we cannot get there without black tea,” said Weber. “To obtain these goals, there needs to be more money in the pot so that it can be distributed across the supply chain.”

Image: Vahdam Tea

Peter Goggi, president, Tea Association of the USA, agreed, emphasising that the price of tea is not sustainable, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to survive. “There is way too much tea in the world, and there are only two ways to take care of that: either increase consumption or reduce the amount of tea that is produced,” he said. Reducing production levels will profoundly impact those countries that depend on tea as a primary industry. However, increasing consumption levels is a complex task.

“In the USA, we are still undeveloped in terms of the number of people drinking tea,” said Goggi. “85 percent of people drink tea, but not every other day, so it’s about converting that daily consumption into reality.” When it comes to consumption levels at origin, there is also room for growth. Countries like China and Kenya have little to zero consumption of black tea. South America, which includes several coffee-consuming countries, is another market that black tea could potentially tap into.

Increasing the overall quality and, in turn, the value of black tea is another way to help drive the product’s price up. “The specialty tea arena has demonstrated that consumers are willing to pay for tea, and so, there is no doubt that we need to raise the overall quality of tea being sold and, in turn, charge for it,” said Goggi. One of the side benefits of focusing on quality is that it naturally reduces the quantity of tea produced as the producers will not be plucking as far down the bush.

In the US, black tea remains the most common beverage, with iced being the most popular American preparation method. “Covid helped the overall tea market in the United States; it is valued, practically by millennials, Gen Z and Gen Xers as a destressor,” said Goggi. “People were drinking more tea at home, and this trend seems to be continuing, the growth of hot tea in the United States is happening.” In addition, the wellness trend has helped to accelerate the growth of black tea in the American market, with consumers gravitating towards the beverage for its taste and health properties.

“We are still very much a black tea-drinking nation, and rank in the top five tea consuming countries, per capita,” said Sharon Hall, chief executive of the UK Tea & Infusions Association (UKTIA). “But the percentage of black tea consumption is decreasing, with standard black tea accounting for 50 percent of the category. Seventy-four percent of the UK nation reported drinking some form of black tea during the day, with 40 percent drinking a cup several times a day. The key drivers for black tea in the UK are taste and, for the 18-29 demographic, the desire for a warm beverage. However, an increasing proportion of the population is shifting towards other warm drinks, with 55% reporting drinking green tea and 47 percent drinking herbal infusions. True tea sales value fell by over 6.0 percent to £578 million (2021 vs 2020), however, decaffeinated tea did continue to grow in value (1.3 percent) to almost £68.5 million.

“Over the past few years, particularly across the pandemic, we’ve witnessed increasing interest in products prioritising both planetary and human health. Ethics and the environment are high up on consumers’ agendas, supporting a rise in demand for organic and Fairtrade products,” shared Adele Ward, Clipper Teas marketing director, which is owned by Ecotone, UK. “We are also seeing a significant increase in demand for our Organic Decaffeinated Black Tea, which uses the natural CO2 process for decaffeination.”

Image: TAZO Tea

The need for innovation

Black teas remain a huge part of Vadham India’s overall portfolio because traditional tea consumption has always been dominant in the black tea category across India and other geographies. Vahdam has seen a growth of 5-10 percent in its black tea sales across all channels. “There’s been a change in outlook toward the consumption of tea, a growing prominence of black teas in cafés and QSRs, and a change in leisure drink habits across age groups leaning towards tea,” said Bala Sarda, founder and CEO of Vahdam Tea. “This has resulted in a higher demand for black tea worldwide.”

Continual innovation in the black tea category is critical, shared Sarda, to respond to the changing pattern of consumers actively seeking more from their beverages, whether it’s wellness, flavour, or newer formats, like lattes. “Vahdam’s formulations and format innovations have repositioned black tea as a preferred wellness beverage for the new-age millennials and Gen Z consumers, who are looking for an alternative that is contemporary yet clean, stylish yet sustainable and healthy yet high-fashion,” he said.

Health perceptions are skewed towards green

The continued interest in health and wellness has helped drive the demand for tea; in fact, it remains one of the critical drivers for consuming green tea in the Western world. However, one of the challenges in Canada, shared Weber, is that there remains a disconnect between black tea and its health benefits. “Every time we survey people’s perception of the health of the tea, black tea always ranks at the very bottom,” said Weber. “Canadians are quicker to associate the benefits of flavonoids with herbal teas before black tea. So, there’s a huge disconnect that’s happening, there is no question that green tea has had a head start, but the fact that the herbals are outranking black tea is shocking.”

Although the USA has been good about sharing the tea and health message, more needs to occur to help drive the consumption levels. “We need human studies to demonstrate an improvement of health in the population,” said Goggi. “That is the holy grail to get that structure/function claim; then we could state claims like drinking tea helps you to prevent cancer.”

Image: teapigs

However, these messages may fail to connect with the younger generations.

“Cardiovascular health, metabolic, and bone health, which are all significant benefits that black tea provides. However, I’m not sure that the younger generation is really in that headspace at the moment,” said Hall. “We must find ways to fit black tea into their lifestyle and understand how it will work for them.” Potential messages that could connect with the younger generations suggested Hall, are hydration, specifically as a pre- or post-exercise beverage, and highlighting how black tea can be consumed as an alternative to alcohol.

“As a category, black tea declined by 5.6 percent versus two years ago. Despite this, organic and Fairtrade tea is up by 0.3, in line with positive changes to consumer habits,” said Ward. “We’re confident that tea will remain a staple for years to come, not only for its taste but for its link to taking a break — especially in line with younger consumers who are increasingly prioritising wellness. As a brand, we’re always looking for ways we can bring new younger consumers to the category by offering this, alongside our fun identity.”

This includes increasing focus on black tea promotions through traditional and social media channels to drive demand and increase consumer awareness. “I don’t know if that is because the tea market has become dominated by black tea for decades that we’ve kind of taken it for granted, thinking people will always drink it,” said Weber. “You can’t take it for granted; you must celebrate the goodness of black tea.”

The reality is that black tea is competing with a growing number of beverages, making it increasingly challenging to draw younger demographics towards this beverage, which is in desperate need of a facelift. However, failing to connect with younger demographics places the black tea sector at risk of disappearing. Attracting and maintaining the interest of the younger consumer is essential to both drive demand and enable the market to increase the price (and in turn the value) of black tea. “The positioning of black tea as a culturally important part of our lifestyle is essential to have a sustainable industry; this includes getting millennials to drink black tea so that they encourage the tea-drinking habit in the next generation, alpha,” said Hall. “Otherwise, we’re not going to create a new generation of tea consumers.”

• Anne-Marie Hardie is a freelance writer, professor and speaker based in Barrie, Ontario. She may be reached at: annemariehardie1@gmail.com.

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Like Saint James Tea’s existing beverages, Blood Orange & Hibiscus Organic Black Tea is a healthy beverage option that boasts minimal environmental impact. Saint James Tea uses Tetra Paks created with low carbon materials and made of 70% paper from responsibly managed forests. The packaging also eliminates exposure to air and light, which gives the preservative-free tea a shelf life of up to 24 months, while keeping the product fresh for as long as possible.

The Blood Orange & Hibiscus Organic Black Tea joins Saint James Tea’s four existing green tea flavours, Original Green Tea, Passion Fruit & Peach, Blueberry & Raspberry, and Pineapple & Mango.

Saint James Tea is available for purchase online and at select retailers.

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Their signature tea, Nine Ladies Dancing, a black teais joined by the Tea Gardens of Scotland’s roasted green tea — the first of its kind to come out of Scotland.

The Bvlgari Hotel and Residences is a luxury boutique hotel in Knightsbridge, London with a distinctive modern burst that oozes glamour and authentic elegance. The Bvlgari Group has hotels worldwide in major cosmopolitan cities and luxury resort destinations with further openings planned over the next few years.

Commenting on the debut at the Bvlgari Hotel, a spokesperson for Tea Gardens of Scotland said, “We have been delighted by the encouraging uptake of our tea and how well it has been received. Our aim was to produce an authentic, high-quality, hand-crafted tea, it is a real joy when years of hard work pays off. To be included on the tea menu at the Bvlgari Hotel is a dream come true for us all.”

Nine Ladies Dancing is a black tea with amber to light gold liquor, a bright clear cup, and light, delicate, sweet caramel, chocolate, dried fruit, and woody notes. Named Frisky Rascal after a rescued red squirrel, this Perthshire grown green tea has been carefully crafted from the combined leaf of just three independent gardens in the county. It is a roasted green tea with pale green/lemon liquor, a vegetal and floral aroma that is light, smooth with toasted nuts and grilled artichoke notes.

Regarding the new Frisky Rascal tea, Ronnie Murray of the Tea Gardens of Scotland, said, ‘We have spent many hours exploring match making combinations to achieve perfect pairings for our green teas. There is no shortage of food pairings to complement and enhance the wonderful flavours.” We are all delighted with ‘Frisky Rascal’ tea, it is different, smooth, vegetal and nutty notes make it stand apart from so many green teas that we love from elsewhere in the World. It has been amazingly well received, way beyond our expectations, we are all thrilled.’

A spokesperson for Canton Tea, which specialises in high end, rare teas, and which has helped the Tea Gardens of Scotland place their tea into high end hotels, in London said, “Canton supplies some of the world’s top hotels and we are delighted to introduce Nine Ladies Dancing and Frisky Rascal to Bvlgari Knightsbridge to be available on their Fine Tea menu with their afternoon teas. At Canton we are in awe of the dedication and craftsmanship of these ladies of Tea Gardens of Scotland. The feedback from our customers has been positive which is great credit to the astonishing achievement of these Scottish tea growers.”

Tea Gardens of Scotland consists of nine female Scottish tea growers who all grow tea in their separate gardens in Perthshire, Fife, Angus, and Kincardineshire. They began planting tea seeds in 2016. For the Nine Ladies Dancing Tea, they all pluck on the same day and combine their leaf to make this black tea. It is pure, 100% Scottish grown tea. Tea Gardens of Scotland has previously sold to Fortnum & Mason, The Royal Penthouse Suite at the Corinthia Hotel and Canton Tea.

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Producing black teas for European consumers was the remit for the new colonial tea estates, which had sprung up in India, Sri Lanka and East Africa after British settlers had gained access to the botanical material. The big leaf tropical variety, Camellia sinensis var assamica, was discovered by British explorer Robert Bruce in the Burmese/Assam jungle forests in the 1820s.The small leaf high grown variety, Camellia sinensis var sinensis, was smuggled out of China in the 1840s by Scottish botanist Robert Fortune.

Tea cultivation prospered and spread outside of China, with research and technology improving both yield and quality, attracting more investment and fostering the emergence of big brands, based on short supply chains, integrated from the leaf to the cup. Dominated by the British tea trade and the London Tea Auction, which closed in 1998, all these cups were black teas, grown as export-cash crop for the West.

Premium black teas from Darjeeling at a tea shop in France

That situation gradually underwent changes from the late 1970s onwards when China softly tip-toed back into the global tea scene, followed by Japan and South Korea, all displaying their ancient tradition of producing green teas, which were their main domestic hot brewed cups. An important expansion of the cup offering was gradually introduced by these newly arrived stakeholders, who promoted their novelty green teas with the help of significant government budgets. A new era began for European tea consumers, who discovered the green, white, blue-green, and dark teas with their completely new taste profiles, leaf and quality grades, and brewing styles.

Black Tea versus Green Tea

Black tea has been dominating the European tea market since inception, with its easy brewing way of using freshly boiled water, a steeping time of several minutes and one spoon per person plus one spoon for the pot, a straightforward and simple way for achieving a tasty brew. The widely shared adding of milk and sugar made the cups not only reviving and rehydrating, but also providing nutritional value, for breakfast as well as for the mid-morning and mid-afternoon break. Black tea was served in factories, company offices and purchased on-the-go, as an intrinsic part of the daily diet.

During the late 19th century tea was also an important vector for social and family gatherings, like sitting together for afternoon tea, meeting out-of-home in a public tea garden, or inviting friends and celebrities for a tea party. Industrialisation followed by globalisation allowed the big brands to bring black teas to any household in Europe, most conveniently with the introduction of the tea bag, and then with ready-to-drink (RTD) teas, all these cups being black tea.

Single origin Ceylon black tea (from Sri Lanka)

When green teas were introduced to Europe, with a first entry point being Chinese food establishment, they were met with surprise by their pale colour and rather weak taste. When premium qualities became available in retail shops, they quickly generated a need for knowledge and learning, because the green tea cups were different from the established black tea profile.The novelty needed to take root, which takes some time.

It is worthwhile to note, that Europe had not experienced any previous encounter with green teas, contrary to the craze in the United States for Japanese green tea, that had developed after the opening of Japan by the Meiji Emperor in the later 19th century, which had boosted the Japanese tea economy, attracted many American coffee consumers to the green cups, and lasted asa significant fashion and consumption trend from the 1870s until World War I.

Premium teas versus mainstream teas

Black teas, which arrived in Europe from India, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and East Africa, have an established market segmentation. The premium cups are mainly single origin leaf teas from prestigious mountainous areas such as the Himalayan foothills of Darjeeling, India and the central highlands of Sri Lanka; and the upper mainstream teas are leaf tea blends, most often assembled from Sri Lanka/Ceylon, Assam and Kenya teas, according to established taste profiles, like strong breakfast, mild afternoon, good with milk. Finally, the mass market black teas are mainly tea bags with blended CTC (cut/crush, tear, curl) teas, i.e. small particles and dusts, usually containing a mix of various origins.

The premium green teas sourced from the traditional origin markets, which are China, Japan and South Korea, are mostly unblended leaf. To attract consumer awareness, there have been long-lasting promotion operations to introduce such quality green leaf to Europe with claims ranging from terroir origin, dedicated cultivars and artisan processing to health benefits. With China and Japan rivalling for throat share, Korea joining in, consumption is taking root slowly but steadily.

Premium black tea from Saitama, Japan

Concerning the mainstream green tea segment, it is important to note, that the CTC process is not applicable for green teas. Mass market green teas are known as ‘gunpowder’, consisting of more or less tightly rolled leaf, they come mainly from Zhejiang, China’s summer harvests, and are made mainly for North African consumers who blend them with mint and herbs to soften the astringency.

All green teas remain newcomers to the Western markets with their untraditional taste profiles that have no background experience on which to build. The fact that they require more skills for knowledgeable brewing ways as well as additional and different accessories makes them less convenient to prepare, which may be one of the reasons for the continued consumer preference and unchallenged market dominance of the long-established black teas.

Amongst the most popular flavourings for robust black teas are the various citrus fruit, such as bergamot and the world famous ‘Earl Grey’ recipes and the ‘Russian Teas’ with orange and lemon added, which all pair perfectly with black teas and smooth out some astringency. Other highly popular recipes are the spicy teas like Christmas teas and of course, ‘chai’, a spicy milk tea.

Classic and new premium black teas

The reputation of the first flushes from Darjeeling and the spring picks from Ceylon’s highland regions have never lost their longstanding fame and ‘must have’ attraction. The same applies to the famous Chinese black teas, namely the Keemuns from Anhui Province, the Dianhongs from Yunnan Province and, of course, the iconic cup favoured by the British Royal family, Lapsang Souchong from Fujian Province. These incredibly fragrant and iconic terroir teas all rank at the top of the list of the European tea consumers’ most favoured black teas, sought after by many discerning and affluent tea drinkers.

French tea experts Carine Baudry and Lydia Gautier, tea book authors, tea teachers and both deeply involved in the premium tea hospitality segment in France, acknowledge that the revival of special afternoon tea offers, namely by the Palace Hotels, focus on the famous premium origin black teas on their menus. This confirms that these exquisite premium black cups have maintained their position as great favourites of the French tea lovers, also because their familiar and appreciated flavour profiles pair perfectly with sweet dishes, such as the highly elaborate French chef desserts.

Premium black breakfast tea from Korea

In addition to the classic famous black teas, most portfolios now also include an interesting selection of newcomers, fine black teas from untraditional origins, namely from Nepal, from Japan, from South Korea, and from East Africa. Skillfully processed, these fine terroir black teas are mostly single estate products and have attracted attention as award winning cups, after competing in their home markets as well as internationally. They greatly appeal to the consumers who look for novelties, whilst staying within a well-established cup profile.

Continuing to dominate

Investigating statistical details, between 2007 and 2020, green tea imports into the main European markets have grown from 8.5 per cent to 12.6 per cent of the total import tonnage; these figures include the UK, Russia, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Ireland, and Italy as per the International Tea Committee’s (ITC) Annual Statistics Bulletin. This shows clearly that black tea continues to fully dominate the European tea market in volume and value. However, green tea is gaining progressively in throat share.

Established senior tea drinkers’ preference for black tea will likely remain, whilst younger generations will be attracted by the proactive communication that continues to focus mainly on green teas. As premium quality becomes pricier–due in part to climate change incidents and the lower yields induced by the requirements for certified organic farming–consumers will have to make choices, and they may consider investigating other tea categories. Revamping the image of genuine black tea to highlight its benefits, provenance and profile, is an option that holds considerable potential.

• Barbara Dufrêne is the former Secretary General of the European Tea Committee and editor of La Nouvelle du Thé. She may be reached at: b-dufrêne@orange.fr.

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DIGITS Bourbon Barrel Aged Tea ($34.99) is a complex blend, with three black teas aged for five months in charred oak bourbon whiskey barrels, after which the tea is blended with coconut, cinnamon and vanilla. Using full-leaf black teas Assam, Ceylon and Keemun (“the whiskey of teas”), the final combination evokes a deeply flavourful elixir for winter sipping on its own, or with a shot of bourbon or mixed into a hot toddy.

“This collaboration brings together two of my favorite beverages—tea and bourbon,” says NBA legend and DIGITS whiskey entrepreneur Scottie Pippen. “The teamakers at Smith were inspired by the flavours of our bourbon when crafting this barrel aged tea blend and the end result is smooth and easy to drink, just like DIGITS,” he adds.  “I enjoy a cup in the morning, and like it with a shot of DIGITS bourbon to finish out my evening.”

Bourbon and tea have long been enjoyed in tandem, so this was a natural partnership for the two brands who both share the same values of craft, quality and elevated flavour. Pippen launched DIGITS bourbon in the summer of 2021 in collaboration with Dave Phinney, a legend of the Napa wine world and proprietor of the award-winning distillery, Savage & Cooke. When DIGITS bourbon was released this summer, 5,000 cases sold in just the first two months. Phinney has a deep connection with tea, having spent some of his childhood in Bristol, England, drinking it since the days of his youth.

“Much like wine, in tea I look for complexity and weight,” says Phinney. “DIGITS Bourbon Barrel Aged Tea is rich and complex, delicious savored hot by the cup, with a shot of bourbon, or mixed into a cocktail,” he adds. “It showcases all that tea can be.” The bartenders at Savage & Cooke have created a special recipe featuring the tea and bourbon, which can be viewed at SmithTea.com.

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Bigelow brings innovation to both Green and Black tea with 100% daily value of healthy antioxidant Vitamin C. Bigelow has included highly sought after ingredients long known for their beneficial properties, like Echinacea and the immensely popular super fruit, Elderberry. Citrus is also a natural way to support a healthy immune system. These two new Vitamin C teas join Bigelow’s I Love Lemon plus Vitamin C Herbal Tea already on grocery store shelves, a classic favourite among tea drinkers and lemon lovers, according to the company. 

The new Bigelow Green Tea with Elderberry Plus Vitamin C features smooth green tea with a slightly tart berry flavour and a smoky finish.

The new Bigelow Lemon Echinacea Black Tea Plus Vitamin C is a robust black tea with tart lemon and earthy Echinacea.

“We’ve seen the demand for products that support a healthy lifestyle expand tremendously over the past few years” says Cindi Bigelow, president and CEO of family-owned Bigelow Tea. “Tea has always been a source of comfort and well-being in the lives of our consumers. Expanding our line of Vitamin C teas recognises our consumers desire to sustain a healthy immune system while embracing that moment of calm in their everyday lives through a delicious cup of our Bigelow plus Vitamin C teas.”

Bigelow Tea offers over 150 varieties of tea, including top sellers like Lemon Ginger plus Probiotics. The new teas are now available for purchase in stores and online on the Bigelow Tea company website (www.bigelowtea.com) and other select online retailers. The average suggested SRP is $3.19.

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A recent scientific review, published in the journal, Nutrition & Food Technology, argues that the little-known polyphenols called thearubigins, found in black tea, have powerful health benefits. The potential health benefits of black tea are well documented but the specific roles of thearubigins are less widely published.

Thearubigins (TRs) are major components of black tea that provide its distinctive dark, brown colour. The new review, undertaken by the UK-based Tea Advisory Panel, examined the results from five human studies and 17 laboratory studies looking specifically at thearubigins, one of the flavonoid group of polyphenols, and the inter-relationships between thearubigin intakes and health. The main areas of health that could be influenced by thearubigins were gut health, blood pressure, and anti-cancer effects, in part due to their powerful antioxidant potential and anti-inflammatory effects.

“Research on thearubigins is at an early stage in comparison with the wealth of data we have on the benefits of drinking green and black teas. However, it’s clear from laboratory studies that thearubigins are important antioxidants and appear to have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as regulating gut function,” said lead author Dr Tim Bond. “Thearubigins could be key to understanding the mechanisms behind the well-known health benefits of black tea and the identification of actives that are responsible for these. We now need to build on this work with clinical trials in human populations.”

Dr Carrie Ruxton, from the Tea Advisory Panel, added, “Health features are often full of good news about green tea and our much-loved British cuppa can be overlooked. This new review is great for people who prefer a regular cup of black tea and adds to the considerable evidence on tea’s role in maintaining heart health, cognitive function and gut health.”

Brits have the highest thearubigin intake in Europe with the average tea drinker taking in 327 mg daily — more than double the European average of 156 mg and 50 times higher than the intakes in Spain (American tea drinkers were not included in the study).

While the review found that while a growing body of evidence (from laboratory/cell studies) signifies that thearubigins could have potential health roles, including antioxidant,  antimutagenic and anticancer properties, along with the ability to reduce inflammation and improve gastrointestinal motility, in concluded that “well-designed human trials are now needed to further investigate thearubigin intakes from dietary sources in relation to specific health outcomes.”

So, go ahead and continue to enjoy that traditional English “cuppa tea,” perhaps, though, omit the sugary additives…

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

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The collectable caddie design, the intelligent and dependable Ox, is the second sign of the Zodiac. The perfect gift to honour the New Year in style, the red (one of the luckiest colours in Chinese culture) tea caddy features gold accents and an embossed Ox design to honour the positivity and stature of those born under the zodiac sign. Ambitious, creative and patient, those born under the Ox believe that true success requires strength and determination. Honest and earnest, the Ox often hides their talents, but gains recognition through their hard work.

Newby’s Year of the Ox’ is a rich second-flush Assam tea imbued with a subtle flavour of the highest quality almonds. The full-bodied blend produces a smooth and malty cup with a delicate yet sweet aftertaste. It is available online at www.newbyteas.co.uk until supplies last for £16.00.

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In a newly released study, Harvey Water Softeners took the top 50 largest cities (by population) across the UK, and reviewed the amount of people who searched for tea on Google per month for 20 types of popular tea over the last two months, to see which cities have been drinking which tea the most during lockdown. The research revealed that with more than 40,500 average monthly searches during this period, Yorkshire Tea took the top spot. According to the findings, searches for Yorkshire Tea increased considerably during lockdown, with just 14,000 searches for Yorkshire Tea across the whole of the UK pre-Covid-19.

The second most searched tea was “green tea” – apparently there was no specific brand search, just a general search for green tea – which had an average of 27,100 searches per month. PG Tips came in third with 14,800 searches, followed by Pukka Tea, Tetley Tea and Twinings Tea all with 12,100 searches. Rounding out the top 15 tea searches in the UK, per Harvey Water Softener’s findings, are:

• White tea: 8,100
• Earl Grey: 6,600
• Clipper Tea: 6,600
• Darjeeling: 6,600
• Whittard Tea: 5,400
• Turkish tea: 4,400
• Masala Chai: 3,600
• Assam tea: 3,600
• Typhoo Tea: 2,900

The leading brand may have changed, but one fact remains — black tea still reigns supreme in the UK. Although, green tea is definitely gaining interest among British consumers as it was the second favorite searched tea, landing in the top three searches in every city in the UK per Harvey’s findings.

The Surrey, England-based company’s research revealed that Yorkshire Tea hit the top spot for every single Yorkshire town and city. Yorkshire Gold, a tea brewed specifically for hard water, appeared in the top three spots for both the cities of Poole and Swansea. According Harvey, these areas are well known for having hard water.

Newcastle is the only place in the UK where Earl Grey landed in the top three spots, while Bristol is the only city in the UK without green tea or Yorkshire Tea as their top tea, with the Pukka brand being their top searched tea during lockdown. (Pukka Teas are more premium-priced fruit and herbal teas that also include organic and wellness tea lines.)

Scotland and Northern Ireland consumers’ tastes seem to differ from consumers in England and Wales, with Tetley Tea hitting their top three overall.

Although Harvey Water Softener’s findings offer insight into the purchasing decisions being made through search data on the favourite brands of tea, they do not actually report the “most purchased teas” online, just the “most searched teas.” So, while Yorkshire Tea might have the top spot among online tea searches, it might not necessarily be the most purchased tea in the UK — online or offline.

The family-run manufacturer of water treatment products did note that no matter what tea consumers prefer, tea lovers across the UK will want to avoid water with a higher proportion of certain minerals, such as calcium, as these minerals could negatively impact the quality of the taste of the tea, as well as building limescale on kettles.

The company further explained that calcium, in particular, has been known to react with the flavonoids in tea, creating a film that floats around on the surface of a cup of tea. According to Harvey Water Softeners, “many people find that hard water causes a limescale build-up in your kettle, making it a pain to use, flakes of limescale in your tea and the kettle becomes less efficient and costs more in energy bills over time.”

And that’s the tea — enjoy your favourite cuppa!

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

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The new study (according to the report, Unilever played no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the study), which claims to be “the most comprehensive review to date of tea’s relationship to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality,” was published on 19 February in Advances in Nutrition. It spans 30 years of evidence from 37 epidemiological studies.

The study, “Dose–Response Relation between Tea Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Population-Based Studies,” suggests that daily consumption of multiple cups of unsweetened black or green tea may lower the risk of death from heart disease.

In short, the study finds that:

• With each cup of tea consumed daily, there may be an average of 4% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and 2% lower risk of all-cause mortality.
• Older adults (65 years and up) may benefit the most. In this population, each cup of tea may lower risk of death from heart disease by 10%.
• People who drink 2-3 cups (8 oz each) of tea per day may lower their risk of death from heart disease by about 8-12%, compared to non-drinkers of tea.

Researchers say the findings mean that daily tea intake as part of a healthy habitual dietary pattern may be associated with lower risks of CVD and all-cause mortality among adults. According to the American Heart Association, CVD affects nearly half (48%) of all adults in the United States and is responsible for about one in every three deaths. While this is definitely good news for consumers, it could be positive for Unilever as well.

In its 30 January fourth quarter and fiscal year sales and earnings call, Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever PLC, said the company initiated a strategic review of its global tea business, which includes some of the UK’s, US’s and other international markets’ most well-known brands such as Lipton, PG Tips and Lyons, amid the drop in the sales of standard black tea that Unilever cannot seem to find an answer to (its premium tea business is fairing much better). But as I alluded to earlier, maybe rather than Unilever selling its entire tea business, a new strategy for promoting and selling its commodity tea is in order.

Richard Parker, principal consumer analyst with GlobalData, stated, “With industry analysts speculating that the business could sell for €6-8 billion (US$6.583-8.778 billion), yet still making sales of circa €3bn (US$3.292bn), its decline is relative. However, it reflects a change in consumer behaviour that is, at least at present, moving the opportunities for growth in tea to new segments.” He added that it could be strategically advantageous for Unilever to review and consolidate some of its interests. “However, it would be a knee-jerk reaction to think that the rise of premium coffee and alternative teas is going to lead to even a medium-term downfall of standard black tea to the extent that getting out of the market entirely is preferable.”

Parker further noted the important influence of millennials and Gen Zers, “with their bias for experience seeking and weaker affinity for traditional norms. The British cuppa isn’t as valued in a social setting or as a feature of self-actualization for the urban hipster like a Flat White might be.”

“Looking ahead, for brands similar to those in the Unilever portfolio, changes of approach and building new appeal may be needed,” said Parker. “Digital marketing, social media and accurate demographic targeting backed up by genuine understanding of the audience can be clever tools in making the old relevant to new consumers,”

Given the results of the new study, which notes that older consumers (65 years and up) may benefit the most, maybe Unilever should concentrate its standard/commodity [black] tea efforts on marketing to baby boomers (who are in that key demographic) and Gen Xers (who will soon be getting there).

I concur with Parker, who, paraphrasing Mark Twain, said, “The death of the British cuppa may be somewhat exaggerated.”

Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal
Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com
Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

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Overall growth of the bottled tea market can be attributed to:

• Increasing appetite for specialty teas and their easier availability
• Health conscious consumer’s preference for healthful tea beverages
• Younger consumers’ developing palate for different RTD bottled tea flavours
• Accessibility of bottled tea across various sales channels

“The bottled tea marketplace is heavily impacted by evolving consumer sentiments wherein vendor revenues dwindled half a decade ago on the back of a contagious low- or no-sugar beverage trend. As manufacturers ramped up the production of no-sugar tea varieties, the bottled tea market has surpassed US$ 47bn in 2017 and the status quo is highly likely to continue in 2018,” said a senior analyst at Fact.MR.

The study opines that the consumption of still bottled teas will rise to 35m litres globally in 2018. However, sparkling tea revenues are set to grow at a 6% YOY in 2018 over 2017. This rapid expansion can be attributed to growing demand among younger consumers for sparkling tea, in particular, sparkling iced tea. The bottled tea marketplace is witnessing manufacturer investments in introducing new varieties of sparkling iced tea.

Conventional bottled tea has remained the primary choice among tea lovers, accounting for around 80% of total consumption. Organic teas are growing in popularity, with consumption increasing by 4m litres in 2018 over 2017.

The study found that 30% of bottled tea is made of black tea in 2018, while a quarter is green tea. Black tea continues to remain the highly popular tea blends and is consumed for its potential health benefits.

Globally, the bottled tea consumption remains concentrated in the APEJ region. With the region’s populous nature and its significant younger population, APEJ accounted for two-fifths (40%) of the global bottled tea consumption in 2017. The report estimates that Greater China consumed nearly 43% of the APEJ bottled tea consumption. According to the study, the popularity of black tea in the region has significantly contributed to the steady rising bottled tea consumption.

The bottled tea market growth will continue its upwards steady trend on the back of increasing preference for ready-to-eat beverages and consumer-driven product innovations.

The report tracks the bottled tea market for the period 2018-2027. According to the report, the bottled tea market is projected to grow at nearly 4% CAGR through 2027.

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Next to water, tea is the most commonly drunk beverage worldwide. For generations, black and green tea consumption levels were divided by continents. Historically, black tea was the predominant choice for the majority of Western Europe, North America, Africa and some parts of Asia. However, in East Asia, in particular China and Japan, green was the dominant tea of choice. Today, the regional divide is still in existence. However, the tea story is evolving with consumers across the globe increasingly experimenting with both varieties of tea.

In 2018, Americans consumed over 84 billion servings of tea or more than 3.8 billion gallons. About 84 per cent of all tea consumed was black tea, 15 percent was green tea, and the small remaining amount was oolong, white and dark tea. Although black tea still leads the way, the consumption of green tea in North America is steadily growing.

“There has been an overall decline in black tea consumption, in particular with CTC tea,” shared Matthew Barry, senior beverage analyst, Euromonitor International, based in London. “This could be in part because the health positioning of black tea is weaker than both herbal and green, and the fact that black teas are often consumed cold and with sugar.”

Canada is experiencing a similar trend, with a two percent decrease in black tea consumption in 2018. However, Shabnam Weber, president of the Tea & Herbal Association of Canada, shared that specialty black tea (flavoured) shows a nine percent increase in 2018. “Our changing demographic is looking for variety in both the black and green tea categories, presenting an opportunity for both flavours and blends.”

The perception of tea is continuing to shift from a milk and sugar-laden beverage consumed by the older demographic to an innovative beverage that presents a seemingly limitless variety of taste experiences. “The educated and informed tea drinker who is coming to cafés and coffee shops, wants a premium grade tea,” said Andy Byron, trade and communications sales executive, Teapigs, based in Brentford, England. He added that although mainstream tea as a whole is declining, customers are more interested in provenance, health and quality, which has resulted in a demand for premium, green and specialty tea, especially among younger consumers.

The wellness story has awakened a large portion of the Western world to green tea and its dietary benefits. Based on search history alone, green tea seems to hold first place when it comes to health attributes with regular consumption of it being positively linked to protecting against several types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure and decreased risk of cognitive impairment.

“The health and well being sector will continue to grow with more people drinking functional teas,” said Byron. “Consumers are also placing more focus on sustainability so vendors need to check their product’s green credentials and remember that provenance is key!”

The core chemical difference between black and green tea are the number of catechins. The high level of catechins in green tea, including epigallocatechin 3 gallate and L-theanine, continue to support the argument of including green tea as part of a healthy diet.

In a 2017 study published in Food Research International, authors Schmidt, Garcia, Martins, Melio-Carpes, and Carpes found that green tea plays a protective role in different, neurodegenerative conditions, including the memory deficits in Alzheimer, and is the only tea that has shown to be effective in reducing the oxidative stress and damage in the hippocampus. The oxidation process which is done to create black, oolong and puer tea, convert catechins to theaflavins. It is these theaflavins that have been positively linked to cardiovascular health, reduced cholesterol and lower blood sugar levels.

“Green tea is known as healthy which has great branding potential but can be slightly misleading from a specialist perspective,” said Ashley Lim, founder, Mansa Tea, New York. “There is a huge opportunity to bring green teas forward, not just for its health attributes but taste profiles.” Per a 2017 Statista survey on Consumers Favourite Type of Tea, 30 per cent of consumers preferred green tea, while 25 percent preferred black.

“Black tea remains the dominant type of tea consumed in the US, but consumer research suggests the facts don’t tell the whole story,” said Jason Walker, marketing director, Firsd Tea, the US import office of China-based Zhejiang Tea Group (ZJT), based in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. “When interviewed, consumers actually prefer green teas, however, they may not be getting the green options they really want.”

The preparation of green tea has been one of the primary stumbling blocks that the industry has to overcome. “Keeping the category fresh and interesting has always been a challenge, as well as getting the message through to consumers that preparing tea is not difficult,” said Weber.

Steeped incorrectly, and the highest quality leaves can quickly become burnt and bitter. A push for education, including proper preparation techniques, has also helped consumers become aware of the variety of green teas that are available resulting in an increased demand for specific types of green tea including sencha, genmaicha, gunpowder and longjing. “We’ve really introduced the US market to a higher grade Japanese green tea,” said Miriam Colman, Sugimoto Tea Company, Redmond, Washington. “When it comes to consumers it’s about letting them know that green tea, can in fact, taste good.”

For both products, there is an opportunity to introduce consumers to the nuances of the beverages including highlighting single origins and unique preparation methods. “Most people are familiar with English Breakfast and Earl Grey but with black tea there is an opportunity to introduce single origins, including Japanese black tea and Chinese black tea, that consumers may not be aware of,” shared Lim. Consumers are actively exploring the unique notes of Japanese black tea, the smokiness of Lapsang Souchong, the champagne of tea Darjeeling black tea, and other terroirs including Assam, Yunnan, and Ceylon, and new entries including Taiwanese teas Ruby Black and Black Jade. One advantage with black tea, she said, is that it is easier to create different flavour profiles and tends to blend better with milk, providing the perfect template for unique beverages like boba milk tea and chai.

Overall Demand for Tea is Increasing

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, global tea production is continuing to rise with a projected annual increase of 2.2 per cent for black tea, for a total of 4.4 million tonnes by 2027, and 7.5 per cent annual increase for green tea, for a total of 3.6 million tonnes by 2027. The growth of green tea is largely driven by China.

“The last decade has seen remarkable changes in the volumes of tea produced and the amount of tea bushes planted in China,” shared Walker. As of 2018, the total combined acreage of all tea gardens in China’s Guizhou province was 7.52 million mu (5,013 square kilometres). This province has focused on the tea industry as a whole, with total tea production reaching 362,000 tonnes. This type of growth pattern is being experienced throughout the country, with Guizhou and Hubei provinces reporting the largest gains in production.

The shift towards premiumisation presents additional opportunities for growth for both black and green tea. At the same time, younger consumers are drinking fewer alcoholic beverages, shares Barry, and are more mindful of the beverages that they are consuming. These consumers may be originally turning towards tea for its health attributes, but stay with the beverage for its variety, including the option of having a tea that responds to a variety of occasions and moods. “It’s about experiencing tea in a similar way that consumers drink coffee today,” said Colman. “Coffee is very productivity focused. Tea is a lot more social, it is about taking a moment to breathe and slow down.”

From a marketing perspective, green tea may appear easier as this is what is continuing to drive the interest in tea. However, there is ample opportunity in black tea, particularly in the specialty sector where consumers can begin to appreciate the nuanced stories of the leaf. “It’s about adding on another layer to the story, by focusing on the origin and offering varieties of each (black and green tea),” said Lim.

Black and green tea do not have to be presented as enemies in a game of tug of war. Instead the two teas can work together highlighting the benefits of each, including their unique taste profiles, traditions, and health attributes. For black tea, there is an opportunity to turn the slight decline around by bringing forward specialty teas, and the range of origins available. Green tea, on the other hand, will benefit by expanding the health conversation to include taste profiles and origins.

For the industry as a whole, there are growth opportunities for both types of teas as consumers’ increasing interest in specialty teas and innovative beverage offerings paves the way for exploration and experimentation. “It doesn’t have to be a competition between teas,” said Colman. “Having both options available opens the doors to more people and provides an opportunity to bring tea into their lives more often.”

• Anne-Marie Hardie is a freelance writer, professor and speaker based in Barrie, Ontario. She may be reached at: annemariehardie1@gmail.com

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Laird Superfood Kombuchas are a blend of all-natural, organic ingredients including green and black teas, coconut vinegar, fruit, and spices. The kombucha is non-GMO and contains no artificial flavors or colors and is available in three flavors:

• Pineapple-Ginger with Turmeric & Black Pepper
• Berry-Ginger with Lemon & Honey
• Lemon-Honey

“As a company, we’re always looking for ways to combine superb taste with natural, real-food ingredients in our products,” said Paul Hodge, CEO and co-founder of Laird Superfood. “As a brand, we are excited to continue expanding our beverage line into the commercial space while also venturing into the booming kombucha market for the first time.”

Eric Hermeling, founder and owner of Belmont Coffee Services says of the new expansion: “We’ve been incredibly impressed with the Laird Superfood platform. Their new organic kombucha line delivers a natural fruit taste profile combined with an elegant effervescence that is absolutely delicious. We are confident Belmont’s corporate customers will embrace the Laird Superfood products as we have.”

About Laird Superfood

Laird Superfood, creates all-natural superfood products that are both delicious and functional. The company’s products are designed to naturally keep you fueled throughout your day.

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