In the UK we still love our cup of tea. However, the kind of teas we are drinking show some interesting trends.
Tea is often considered quintessentially British. While it has been around for centuries, it has never seen as much innovation as it is now. 2019 is proving to be a great year for tea!
Let’s look at the trends that are influencing our daily cuppas.
Quality
When first introduced to the UK, tea was a luxury whole leaf product that only the very rich could enjoy. When the teabag was introduced in the early 20th century and as demand grew, the production of tea was expanded, mainly in Africa. machine harvesting using the CTC (cut-tear-curl) method meant the quality of the tea inside the teabags was of a lower grade. As we know such lower grade paper teabags continues to be popular today.
However, change has been happening over the last few years, as hot drinks in general continue to become more premium. Higher quality whole leaf is becoming popular again. At the same time, standard black tea is giving way to more novel speciality black tea varieties, green tea and herbal infusions.
Many other high-quality ingredients such as real cacao, freeze-dried fruits and whole spices are being used to create interesting flavour profiles. Artisan tea brands are raising the bar on quality and will generally blend by hand to keep the fragile whole leaf intact.
The emphasis on quality and flavour is certainly a trend we expect to see continuing – with the consumer willing to pay that little bit more for a cup of tea that really piques the taste buds.
However, it is important not to confuse whole leaf; the tea leaf dried whole without being broken, with loose leaf; tea not in a teabag. As long as the tea is whole leaf there is no inherent quality difference between loose leaf and high-quality pyramid teabags since the pyramid shape still allows for proper infusion in the cup.
Sustainability
As the world is growing more environmentally conscious, the demand for plastic-free increases. About 96% of teabags currently still contain polypropylene, a synthetic resin, which is added during the sealing process. High-quality, 100% biodegradable pyramid teabags, made of cornstarch, like the ones used by Roqberry, have entered the market and the pressure is now on the large tea companies to change over to plastic-free teabags.
Although some of the bigger brands are dragging their heels, we expect to see a gradual move away from tea bags with plastic to fully biodegradable versions.
Health
There is a marked increase in general consumer interest and demand for healthy food and drink, and lower sugar intake. Tea’s natural ingredients and minimal calorie content make it an attractive drink to many. Tea also contains L-theanine which is said to reduce stress and increase alertness.
In addition, tea is full of antioxidants, with green tea containing the highest levels of a very potent antioxidant called EGCG (Epigallocatechin-3-gallate) – and this has led to an increase in the popularity of green tea and green tea blends like Sencha Gyokuro and Long Jing.
Naturally caffeine-free herbal infusions containing ingredients with additional health benefits are also seeing a rise in demand. For example, Turmeric Chai and Rooibos blends like Spiced Blueberry and Banana Bee. While the health benefits are inherent to the ingredients used, a definite rise is seen in tea brands marketing their blends as “wellness” choices.
Food and tea pairings
Restaurants and bars are seeing a significant increase in demand for alcohol-free drinks. Lunch time sittings, especially during business meetings, often require alcohol-free beverages. General demand is also increasing in line with health concerns and research suggests that millennials drink far less alcohol than previous generations.
Tea has a fantastic ability to complement food dishes with a variety of flavour profiles. For this reason, more and more restaurants now offer a tea and food pairing menu alongside their wine pairing menu. Tea can even be brewed cold overnight or served iced, for a refreshing cold drink.
This is a trend that is just starting and one that will grow and grow. It opens up new avenues for food venues and allows diners to have a full ‘food and drink’ experience without over-indulging in alcohol. Combined with the increase in quality and flavours, the next few years look set to see tea moving far beyond breakfast and an afternoon cuppa.
Flavours
While English Breakfast and Earl Grey are favourites that are here to stay, fresh expressions of these classics are becoming popular, such as the smooth and more modern Citrus Grey and The Big Smoke, a smoky breakfast blend that perfectly complements your full English. As the demand for green tea continues to grow, so do its flavour varieties. From fruity Sweet Grapefruit or Melon Berry to the exotic Sushi & Spice. The latter being a savoury take on green tea, including roasted brown riceflakes, dried ginger, dried arame seaweed and a hint of wasabi.
A younger audience
The increased focused on health, and the subsequent lower alcohol consumption by younger generations, has meant that the average age of a ‘tea drinker’ has significantly decreased. Interestingly most tea companies report that the biggest rise in tea consumption has been with the 25-35 year olds. With new artisan brands entering the market and offering creative blends with exciting new flavours, tea is shaking off what might have been a dusty image previously and becoming a cool and highly versatile drink.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kim Havelaar is an accredited tea sommelier and the founder of Roqberry. Roqberry is a new brand of tea, focused on bringing big flavour to tea. With high quality ingredients, hand blended in the UK, Roqberry offers both unique flavoured blends as well as top quality artisan varieties. Flavours include fresh expressions of classic blends, such as smooth and sunny Citrus Grey, as well as extraordinary new fusions like savoury Sushi & Spice. The naturally caffeine free infusions range from spiced Turmeric Chai to floral Bloom Box. And the speciality Tea Legends include artisan varieties like Jasmine DragonPearls that remain true to tradition. www.roqberry.com
