Everything Stops for Tea!
by Northern Life
Tea has come a long way in recent years. Unusual tea combinations are becoming mainstream and offer so much choice, plus you can drink many teas either hot or cold.
Also, tea, like wine, has different notes and flavours which can be blended for specific reasons.
So, what are the big tea trends for this year?
Focus on Quality
Hot drinks in general continue to become more premium. In tea, this translates to blends made with whole leaves vs. the cheap ‘dust’ found in many traditional teabags, as well as the inclusion of many other highquality ingredients such as real cacao, freeze-dried fruits and whole spices.
Sustainability Spotlight
As the world grows 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 corn starch) 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.
Healthy Living
There’s a marked increase in general consumer interest and demand for healthy food and drink. The high level of antioxidants found in – especially – green tea is driving up its popularity. Naturally caffeine-free herbal infusions containing ingredients with additional health benefits are also seeing a rise in demand, such as Turmeric and Rooibos.
Iced Tea
As people are looking for sugar-free alternatives to fizzy soft drinks, iced tea is gaining interest. With a minimal calorie content and no added sugar, it makes an attractive cold drink. Some of Roqberry’s blends have been specifically created to also taste good iced.
Food and Tea pairings
Millennials drink far less alcohol than previous generations and restaurants and bars see a significant and increasing demand for alcoholfree drinks. Tea has a fantastic ability to complement food dishes with a variety of flavour profiles. Thus, more restaurants now offer a tea and food pairing menu alongside their wine pairing menu.
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. roqberry.com
