Contemporary Developments in Tea including the Digital Space
TEA AS A BEVERAGE
80% of the world’s population enjoys caffeine consumption daily.
The amount of caffeine in tea or coffee can vary significantly depending on the origin, type, and preparation of the drink .
Tea leaves contain 3.5% caffeine, while coffee beans have 1.1–2.2%. However, the coffee brewing process uses hotter water, which extracts more of the caffeine from the beans. Typically, you also use more coffee beans than you’d use tea leaves for a drink (12).
Therefore, 1 cup (237 ml) of brewed coffee generally has more caffeine than a cup of tea.
Ref: Caffeine in Tea vs. Coffee: How Do They Compare? (healthline.com)
Black, green, and white teas are prepared from leaves of the same plant, Camellia sinensis. What sets them apart is the time of harvest and level of oxidation of the leaves (4Trusted Source).
Black tea leaves are oxidized, while white and green tea leaves are not. This gives black tea a characteristic bold and sharp flavor and increases the extent to which caffeine from the leaves infuses hot water (4Trusted Source).
An average cup (237 ml) of black tea packs 47 mg of caffeine but can contain as much as 90 mg. For comparison, green teas contain 20–45 mg, while white teas deliver 6–60 mg per cup (237 ml) (12, 13Trusted Source, 14).
Matcha green tea is another high-caffeine tea. It usually comes in powdered form and packs 35 mg of caffeine per half-teaspoon (1-gram) serving (4Trusted Source).
Similarly, yerba mate, a tea traditionally enjoyed in South America that’s made by steeping the twigs and leaves of the Ilex paraguariensis plant, usually contains 85 mg of caffeine per cup (237 ml)
The preparation method greatly impacts the caffeine content of tea. Teas that steep for longer and in hotter water tend to produce a more potent cup (4Trusted Source).
For example, a mug of Tazo Earl Grey contains 40 mg of caffeine after 1 minute of steeping in 6 ounces (177 ml) of water heated to 194–203°F (90–95°C). This amount rises to 59 mg after 3 minutes (4Trusted Source).
For comparison, Stash Green Tea has 16 mg of caffeine after 1 minute of steeping under the same conditions. After 3 minutes of steeping, this more than doubles to 36 mg .
If you’re sensitive to the effects of caffeine, consider sticking to teas lower in caffeine like white or herbal teas. You may also brew high-caffeine teas for a shorter time, such as 1 minute instead of 3.
Opting for decaffeinated tea, coffee, and espresso is also a good way to enjoy these drinks without much caffeine.
On the contrary, if you’re a fan of high-caffeine drinks, you may enjoy espresso, cold-brew coffee, and teas with higher caffeine contents, including green and black varieties.
To stay within safe amounts, drink no more than 400 mg daily, or 200 mg of caffeine at a time. This translates to no more than three to five 8-ounce (237 ml) cups of regular coffee daily, or eight 1-ounce (30-ml) shots of espresso (18Trusted Source).
Those who have heart disease, are prone to migraines, and take certain medications should limit their caffeine intake (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also stick to no more than 200 mg per day. This is about one 12-ounce (355-ml) cup of coffee or up to four 8-ounce (237-ml) mugs of long-brewed black tea (20Trusted Source).
https://startuptalky.com/tea-business-marketing-strategy/
FORMATS FOR SELLING TEA
Product Format
v Loose Tea
These are sold either as loose tea from shops or packed inside cartons , polypacks, softpacks , laminates in strips
v Teabags
Here 2-3g of tea is put in a filter paper and there is a tag to hold the tea
The various formats are IMA - double chamber in soft tag ( primarily Italian ) , hard tag ( Constanta in double chamber from Germany ) , Maisa single chamber large in size from Germany
There can be issues on the quality of infusion though Pekoe Dust which infuses fast is added to it .
v Instant Tea
This simulates a near spray drying process but the flavour is stripped off . It offers a great degree of convenience but one has to compromise on the flavour . Georgia by Coke is a classic example of this.
CHANNELS FOR SELLING TEA
v Loose tea shops
This is the traditional way of selling tea
Loose tea has now found its way into kirana counters too
v Retail counters
These are known as mom and pop stores in Europe and the US and as kirana counters in India . This is the only way to get the spread in countries with high population
v Departmental Stores and Modern Trade Chains
Most of us would be familiar with this - the Walmarts , Big Bazaars and many other chains from across the world
v Internet selling
Currently the most popular channel for startups . This provides the advantage of straddling across geographies , popularizing and educating on concepts and working with low working capital . With open source feedback and review this really opens up the world towards transarency and honesty .
TOP BRANDED TEA COMPANIES FROM ACROSS THE WORLD
Consumer preferences and their consumption habits are changing drastically around the world from having sugar-laden carbonated soft drinks to healthier halos such as tea and herbal drinks. These factors are creating a favorable situation for many leading tea companies across the world with the global tea market growing at an unprecedented rate over the last few years.
The tea industry is stealing the spotlight in the global beverages market owing to the growing number of people across all age groups beginning to choose drinking hot tea over other beverages. Here is a list of the top ten tea producing companies of the world.
Twinings(UK)
Twining is famous for making the most luxurious tea blend in the world.
After being founded in 1706, the brand was bought by Associated British Foods in 1964, a giant British international food processing, and retailing company.
Twinings has mastered the art of tea blending and has always been seen as an expert in flavors. The company offers premium loose teas and all-time classics, as well as some exciting picks and signature tea blends with a twist. At Twinings, you can find any tea blend your heart desires, be it Chai Latte, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Everyday, Fruit and Herbal Infusions, Green Tea, or Mint Tea. And if that is still not enough to satisfy your needs, they also produce organic, decaffeinated, and fairtrade tea! These results could only be achieved through over 300 years of tea making tradition, professionalism, creativity, and tea blending expertise.
The Republic of Tea (USA)
The Republic of Tea is an American brand which is best known for selling the premium quality tea bags - offering around 300 varieties of tea.
Mel Ziegler and Patricia Ziegler founded the brand in 1992 along with William Rosenzweig. In 1994, Ron Rubin purchased the company, and only in that time, the Republic has gained national recognition. The Republic of Tea likes to address its employees "ministers", its customers "citizens", and its retail outlets "embassies" which goes really well with the brand name.
The Republic of Tea is associated with tall cylindrical tins. The brand offers multiple tea types and flavors, organic ingredients, varieties enriched with spices, herbs, fruit juices, and flowers, but also iced tea and limited editions, and tea-related gifts and sipware.
Lipton (UK)
This is also another brand famous for their tea-bags. When it comes to the brands of tea, Lipton is a household brand all over the world.
The British brand is named after its founder Thomas Lipton which is cureently owned by the consumer conglomerate Unilever.
Lipton focuses solely on the production and distribution of tea, which resulted in a varied assortment of tea formats, types, and flavors, alongside the line of teas offering particular health benefits, such as energy & focus or immunity.
In 2011, Unilever came under fire for practicing the use of animals to confirm health claims in humans about all their tea brands. After reciving over 40,000 appeals from PETA advocates and in the light of PETA's planning its "Lipton CruelTEA" campaign; they finally stopped that practice and vouched for a more "eco friendly" production planning.
Yorkshire Tea (UK)
Yorkshire Tea is the second largest and highest selling tea brand in the UK; mostly famous for producing fine quality loose leaf tea blend.
Established in 1886 by Charles Edward Taylor, later acquired by another tea brand Betty's Tea Rooms - which gave birth to the current comany Bettys & Taylors Group.
The company is almost the only family tea and coffee manufacturers still left in the UK. The brand specialises in black tea blends, and its most famous mix is called Yorkshire Gold. Other top selling blends include tea for hard water, decaffeinated tea, as well as the combinations with a range of cakes, biscuits, and fruit loaves. Yorkshire Tea is appreciated for blends with uniquely balanced flavors and top quality teas. Additionally, each Yorkshire Tea is tasted eight times, and the company commits to the trade that respects people and the environment.
Tetley (India)
Another household tea brans Tetley is famous for producing various types of herbal tea in the world. Originally manufactured in Britain in 1837, Tetley is now owned by Tata Global Beverages since 2000. Tata is now the second biggest global tea producing company having more than 60 tea brands in 40 countries across the world.
Tetley is valued for its superb selection of teas and widespread availability. The range of products includes exclusive orange pekoe & black, which in the tea industry refers to the highest standard for Western and South Asian teas. And beyond that, Tetley has a variety of flavoured black, herbal, green, red tea, Ayurvedic Balance, decaf, kosher teas, and the new Super Teas. Tetley Super Teas are enriched with vitamins and minerals, composed of people leading an active, balanced lifestyle in mind. The company also shows deep concerns for sustainability, water management, and waste management, all in efforts to minimise the negative impacts on the environment.
Harney & Sons (USA)
Being among the best tea companies, Harney & Sons began its production in 1983, in Connecticut with John Harney as the founder. John's big dream was to make premium tea a daily luxury and satisfy every tea lover. Harney & Sons is a family owned and managed company. The tea brand also distributes to restaurants, hotels, and specialty shop. Harney is also one of the best green tea producers in the world.
Harney & Sons market a diverse product range, from loose teas and sachet tea bags, including all kinds and blends of teas; from green, white and matcha tea to herbal infusions. And then there is even Harney & Sons certified selection of organic, kosher, and decaffeinated teas, while the newest arrivals in the company's family are the fruit and floral teas.
Stash Tea (USA)
Stash Tea is an American specialty tea & herbal tea company. It was formed in 1972 by Steve Lee, Dave Leger, and Steven Smith (the same tea entrepreneur who founded Tazo and co-founded Steven Smith Teamaker). In 1993, Stash was purchased by Yamamotoyama Tea Company.
The range of products offered by Stash Tea includes various tea types and flavors, from loose leaf teas to tea bags, organic and decaf, including less common tea types like yerba mate, pu-erh, and rooibos.
Yogi Tea (USA)
The herbal tea company established by Yogi bhajan in 1984 at Oregon, USA is one of the best organic tea producing brands in the world.
According to some studies, it is proven that yogi green tea helps in preventing atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease and helps in weight loss. Yogi Tea Company makes a variety of herbal teas which offers many health healing properties.
It also contains highly antioxidant and antidiabetic properties which helps to improve blood circulation on the skin's surface. Tea also helps improve skin texture.
Celestial Seasonings (USA)
Celestial Seasonings is known for producing world's best chamomile tea. It was founded in 1969 by Mo Siegel and right now standing as a thriving brand which promotes sustainable sourcing methods and supports local and global communities.The producer is praised for its unique herbal tea blends, although it also sells green, white, chai, and black teas. Celestial Seasonings' signature herbal teas include combinations of spices, herbs, and other natural ingredients, like licorice, pomegranate, or hibiscus, just to name few. The company successfully shares their passion for tea to a broad audience. Celestial Seasonings is committed to sustainable sourcing methods and supports local and global communities.
Bigelow (USA)
The only US tea producing company which owns a tea plantation plant in America, located in South Carolina. The Bigelow Tea Company sells black, green, and herbal dried tea in over 50 mixes and flavors. The company is in business for around 74 years fully operated by a single family.Bigelow Tea takes pride in having become a Certified B Corporation, which is an honor held by only the limited number of 2,700 companies worldwide. This certification is granted to companies on the basis of strict standards of associated social and environmental performance, and it also promotes using business as a force for good.
Source of the above : https://www.tbsnews.net/feature/food/top-10-tea-producing-companies-170290
NOTABLE TEA ECOMMERCE COMPANIES
CANMORE TEA COMPANY
https://canmoreteacompany.com/
Canmore Tea Company is based in the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountains of Canmore, Alberta. Founded in 2016 by Canmore local and tea lover, Raymond Anthony. The store provides high quality tea for your life adventures, whether it be climbing a mountain or detoxing your mind and soul, we have a tea for that.
Canmore Tea carries over 180 teas, a wealth of accompaniments, and a commitment to source out the highest quality ingredients world wide. The personally chosen buffet of tea is bound to please any palate, from flowering teas, fruit and sweet blends to the estate black, traditional greens and herbal wellness teas.
Phone the Canmore, Alberta store:
Call (403)678-0127
TEA HORSE
https://www.teahorse.ca/
Denise Atkinson hasn’t literally travelled the whole world, it just feels that way sometimes.
The marketing power of the internet has allowed the Thunder Bay entrepreneur to extend the reach of her burgeoning artisanal tea business well beyond Northwestern Ontario and the confines of a storefront.
Ironically, when Atkinson started Tea Horse about five years ago, it was inside a traditional store in Thunder Bay’s trendy Bay Street neighbourhood.
But operating a “bricks and mortar” outlet proved to be time consuming and expensive to boot.
She says the decision to sell her tea products through e-commerce venues and commercial distributors paid off, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic re-directed many consumers to retail websites instead of shopping malls.
“You can do a lot with good photography and (product) descriptions,” she said. “I wouldn’t have a storefront again.”
Having a unique product also helps, especially in an industry which seems a bit crowded by big commercial brands.
Tea Horse’s whole leaf tea takes roasted wild rice harvested in Northern Ontario or northern Manitoba, and combines it with traditional Japanese green tea. The result is “a nutty, earthy flavour” that Atkinson characterizes as a “fusion of two cultures.”
“Our products are very different — that’s how we stand out,” she said.
Unlike conventional tea that’s compressed in tiny bags, the whole leaf version is left loose.
Source : https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/23/tea-takes-off-online.html
NEPAL TEA COLLECTIVE
https://nepalteacollective.com/pages/our-story
Collection of teas from Nepal
They have bundles , collections and starter kits .
The teaware is also unique .
Their very special chai blend Nepali Breakfast was voted among the top 10 teas through a survey that involved more than 70,000 reviews directly from consumers. Among the winners were David's Tea, Harney & Sons and Tea Pigs to name a few!
TEABOX
Teabox is an Indian-based online tea company specializing in high-quality single estate Indian grown loose leaf black tea. Teabox sources the freshest teas from Indian tea estates in Darjeeling, Assam, and the Nilgiris and freshest teas from Nepal.
Teabox Darjeeling and Nilgiri black teas are some of my personal favorites. And you can't make a good English Breakfast tea without a good Assam. Try the Margaret's Hope Moonlight Spring White Tea! Ships internationally.
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https://www.abetterlemonadestand.com/tea-business/
Practical and helpful tips for starting your own tea business
TEASE TEA
https://teasewellness.com/pages/about
We believe wellness rituals shouldn’t be complicated.
That’s why we create all natural, tea + botanical based products that compliment each other and your goals without compromising convenience, sustainability, or impact.
Benefiting you
From sleep support ,to focus , energy , confidence , calm
Benefiting the planet
Tea packaging is 100% biodegradable and refillable and the pyramid teabags are made of plant based fibres , plastic free and fully biodegradable .
Benefiting women
A portion of proceeds from every order supports ambitious women founders through a funding and mentorship programme
BLUE TEA BOX
https://www.blueteabox.com/press_kit
Following the spectacular success of Blue Coffee Box, Blue Tea Box was, by popular demand, launched in 2019.
Featuring rare and unique loose leaf teas and new guest merchants every month, it's a never-ending discover voyage of the world of tea.
Blue Tea Box is a UK subscription club for gourmet loose leaf tea lovers.
Each month, a letterbox-friendly box is sent containing three bags of rare and single origin tea with tasting notes and information from where it is produced. There is also the option of a single bag at a lower price.
New tea merchants are introduced every month from the best of the UK’s selection of speciality blenders and merchants.
You can select what tea you want; black, green, connoisseur (white, oolong, yellow and pu-erh), infusions (fruit, mint and unique blends) and healthy (herbal, detox and rooibos).
Membership starts at only £6.99 per month (or less per month for 3, 6 or 12-month advanced payment). It is extremely easy to cancel, pause, skip or upgrade any time.
For tea lovers, a Blue Tea Box subscription is a veritable voyage of gourmet tea. Members tell us their preferences and their Tea Concierges choose the best tea from all over the world.
The gift subscription is just as popular as other subscriptions as it is a unique gift that keeps giving and is suitable for any gift-giving situation.
CLIPPER TEAS
https://www.clipper-teas.com
Clipper was started in 1984 in a Dorset kitchen by a tea-obsessed husband and wife team. They wanted to share their love of great tea with a promise of ethical sourcing and natural production. The story began with just two chests of finest-quality Assam tea, sold to local health food shops and cafes. Today there are over 150 different Clipper products sold in over 50 countries. We’ve long outgrown the kitchen, but everything Clipper is still blended in our factory in Beaminster, Dorset.
Natural
None of our products contain anything artificial. They never will. In 2018 we were the world’s first tea company to switch to Plant-Based, Biodegradable, non-GM and unbleached tea bags. We’re also constantly working on ways to be greener, from production to packaging.
Fair
In 1994 we became the UK’s first Fairtrade tea company. We even helped to write the Fairtrade Standards. 25 years later Clipper is the world’s largest buyer of Fairtrade tea, supporting over 114,000 producers and their families around the globe.
Delicious
Taste is at the heart of what we do. Our Tea Guys, Dan and James (aka our master tea blenders), work tirelessly to create blends that taste better than anyone else’s. And we have won lots of lovely awards to prove it!
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GOODWYN TEA
https://www.goodwyntea.com/pages/about-us
In the age of health conscious millennial, collaborations, partnerships and alliances, why should tea be just tea?
· Goodwyn is a producer owned tea brand.
· Fresh from our century old 6000 acre tea estates in Assam.
· One of the Largest Tea Producers in India.
· Experts in the art of blending.
· More than 50 Unique Blends to suit one’s moods and taste.
· Estate fresh teas within 72 hours of plucking.
· Healthiest nutrient rich teas sourced straight from Goodwyn's own tea estates.
· We believe in inspiring people to live healthy through our distinct blends.
Teatulia specializes in Indian teas. A Denver-based tea company co-founded by Dr. Kazi Anis and Linda Appel Lipsius focuses on sustainability. Teatulia is one of the few 100% organic tea brands produced by the women of Bangladesh. Teatulia teas are single garden teas grown and hand-plucked in the Kazi & Kazi Tea Estate's beautiful tea gardens in Northern Bangladesh and then delivered directly to the consumer.
As tea gardens go, this one is relatively new. The gardens were cultivated from virgin land nestled against the Himalayas in 2000. They offer a wide variety of teas and have won many awards at the North American Tea Championships. Y
Teatulia has cooperative programs they developed for the people's economic prosperity in the region—international shipping.
TeaVivre specializes in authentic Chinese teas, carrying a wide variety of unflavored teas, loose-leaf green tea, and teaware. TeaVivre is a group of tea lovers and aficionados from China, Canada, and France. All living in China frequently visit China's tea plantations tracking down only exceptional teas.
TeaVivre is known for their green teas, some rare green teas such as Ming Qian Long Jing. TeaVivre is an excellent source to buy green tea online.
China also produces some of the best black teas, of which you will find many here. Samples are available. It complies with the European Union, which has much more stringent allowances for residues than the United States. High-quality teas - ship from China internationally.
Yunnan Sourcing is a top online tea store for Pu Er tea. Excellent selection of ripe and raw Pu Er, oolongs tea, black tea, and white tea. They also sell some unusual teas like purple tea and yak butter tea. Pu Er samples are available. Their raw Pu Er teas are produced mainly from a single village or mountain source in small batches.
All raw cakes are processed in the traditional method at every stage to ensure the best possible long-term aging outcome. Their ripe Pu Er is selected based on their taste profile, fermentation degree, leaf quality, and future aging potential. Ships internationally from China and the United States.
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS OF TEA COMPANIES
Twinings :
Uncommon has released its first campaign for Twinings tea, capturing the wellness benefits associated with the classic drink while modernising its image for new audiences.
’Alive in Every Drop’ consists of a trio of cinematic films shot by James Marsh which drag the classic caffeinated drink from its staid image of clinking china, tea cosies and raised pinkies through a series of ’tea moments’.
This includes a morning dance routine powered by Twinings Glow blend as well as a moment of serenity on the beach in the company of the Calm blend. Rounding off the series for the Focus blend is MC Nino who conducts a live performance with his cuppa in hand.
Filmed with a focus on health the promotional work positions Twinings as a wellness brand while dispelling entrenched stereotypes of tea drinkers by capturing people enjoying moments of exercise, reflection and concentration.
TAZO Tea :
https://www.worldteanews.com/Features/get-inspired-tazos-routine-reboot-social-marketing-campaign
TAZO tea launched a week-long marketing campaign in August called "Routine Reboot" – a call to action for people to explore new routines to gain new perspectives. The brand teamed up with acress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan – star of the hit Netflix series “Never Have I Ever” – to inspire fans to try on and experiment with new habits and routines out of their existing day-to-day.
"My routine has been completely turned upside down in 2020 and adjusting hasn't always been easy," said Ramakrishnan. "I'm excited to partner with TAZO to share ‘Routine Reboot' week with my fans!”
Ramakrishnan hosted TAZO’s “Routine Reboot, which explored the routines of a multifaceted group of artists, athletes, parenting experts and entrepreneurs – inspiring fans to try on new routines of their own. The campaign took place Aug. 17-21 (#TAZORoutineReboot).
TAZO said that as fans explored new routines during the promotional effort, its new Energize and Dream teas could help manage energy levels from sunrise to sunset. “These blends are made with ingredients like revitalizing guarana to help jumpstart their day, and calming valerian root to restore and do it all over again tomorrow,” TAZO said in a statement.
LIPTON TEA
https://www.worldteanews.com/whats-brewing/lipton-campaign-focuses-heart-health-women-encourages-weekly-tea-talks
Lipton has been bringing attention to heart health awareness. They're specifically focusing on women who, "amid the pandemic, might be neglecting their physical health as they have been so focused on the care and wellness of their loved ones, which can take a toll on their lifestyle and heart health," according to the company.
Joining forces for the campaign, actress Nicole Ari Parker and Lipton aim to help inspire women to celebrate quality connections while also prioritizing their wellbeing – starting with incorporating regular tea talk conversations into their ongoing routine. In an announcement for the campaign, Lipton noted, “It's time for women to prioritize their heart health by engaging with family, friends and doctors in open conversations about their needs, concerns and goals, helping them embrace healthy habits, especially those that are good for their heart."
Lipton is encouraging women to commit to a weekly Tea Talk (#LiptonTeaTalk) with a friend or family member over a cup of Lipton green or black unsweetened tea. The perks of a weekly Tea Talk, the company said, go beyond healthy conversation, as various studies suggest that drinking unsweetened green or black tea can help support a healthy heart.
“I'm excited to partner with Lipton and encourage women to commit to having a weekly Tea Talk during American Heart Month and beyond,” said Parker. “I know that women juggle so much in their lives, which may result in them neglecting their physical health. My hope is that making time to have these important conversations inspires women to achieve their lifestyle and heart health goals.”
Lipton said a Tea Talk is a great time to have a meaningful conversation about your heart health, plan healthy meals for the week, pause and take time to meditate with a cup of tea, map out your weekly schedule to ensure you are including physical activity, and even schedule doctor's appointments to get your heart health checked.
Rachel Hudesman, head of marketing for tea in the Americas, ekaterra, explained, “At Lipton, we want to remind people that small changes in their daily wellness routine can promote a heart healthy lifestyle. A Tea
Talk is a way to enhance the regular conversations we have with loved ones in our lives and focus on what's important – your health. We're grateful to partner with Nicole and utilize her platform to encourage women to have a weekly Tea Talk during American Heart Month and hope to keep this conversation going the rest of the year."
TWG
WARM AUTUMN TEA AT TWG
https://www.chang-sun-sheryl.com/twg
TWG Tea, the finest luxury tea brand in the world, is internationally recognised as a true innovator with the creation of new varieties of tea every season in collaboration with the world’s most renowned estates.
This advertising campaign focuses on delivering TWG ’s tea aesthetic as a everyday luxury and the brand value of “lifestyle tea art”. The objective of the campaing is to strengthen TWG’s brand awareness to its target customer.
Sector: Luxury lifestyle brand, Hospitality
YORKSHIRE TEA
Yorkshire Tea, the fastest growing mainstream tea brand, is turning up the marketing volume by becoming an official sponsor of the English Cricket team. The Brand Director so stated that the inspiration behind cricket is that it is the only sport that has a tea break. It’s a great tradition and it’s a very English thing to do. The tea brand dedicated 20% of its annual marketing budget to the deal and activated it through TV advertising, created by BMB, social media and on-pack promotion.
HONEST TEA
One of the most famous tea campaigns ever held was the campaign organised by Honest Tea. Honest Tea posed a provocative question: Which city scores the highest on the National Honesty Index? The idea of ‘honest tea’, ‘honest stores’ and ‘honest buyers’ was astounding & au courant.
Honest Tea was doing a social experiment, in cities all across the US, to see how honest, consumers in each city were,– by giving them the opportunity to donate 1 dollar in exchange of one bottle.
As the brand director noted, a successful social media campaign is about using influencers. In this case, by tying a physical pop-up location with an online platform, the company has been able to use local influencers to nationally influence the target audience.
TEA SOMMELIERS
Tea sommeliers are people who—like wine sommeliers—are trained in the taste, terroir, history, and pairing knowledge of tea.
Much like our friends the wine sommelier, they can recommend how to better prepare and consume tea, can create tasting menus, and have knowledge of the steeped leaf that runs the gamut.
Some tea sommeliers who have especially deep regional knowledge have been known to tell you what mountain a tea was grown on, just by tasting the leaf’s liquor. Those people are like magicians.
All of us have our specialties, of course. Some might be experts in blending and scented tea, some might be Indian black tea ninjas. Some might be handy in the history of Taiwanese tea cultivars. Others might be soil and terroir nerds.
You can expect to see tea sommeliers running tea shops, being hired at upscale hotels to design tea menus and offer advice to restaurant proprietors.
The Tea and Herbal Association of Canada has graduated tea sommeliers in Canada, the US, Denmark, India, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, France, Hong Kong, Columbia, Mexico, and South Korea.
There are also students in Norway, Switzerland, South Africa, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Morocco, Mauritius, Brazil, Australia, Japan, and Indonesia.
https://www.melhadtea.com/how-to-become-a-certified-tea-sommelier/
TEA 101: INTRODUCTION TO TEA
This was my first course and introduction to the tea world. Jeff Kovac from Four Seasons Tea was our teacher.
Tea 101 was awesome because it got me totally hooked on learning more about tea. I signed up for this course on a bit of a whim, just thinking I’d do the Tea 101 for fun and stop there.
Boy, was I wrong.
We learned what the difference is in processing between white, yellow, green, oolong, black, and fermented teas, and how they all come from the camellia sinensis plant.
We also learned the origins of tea—historically factual and mythical, the basics of tasting teas and tea sommelier vocabulary, some basic tea types with the overall categories—like Ti Kuan Yin, Gunpowder, White Silver Needle, etc.
There was also a lot of learning about tea grading and types. We distinguished big, whole orthodox tea leaves from the finely ground CTC (cut, tear, curl) that appears in our breakfast blends. This might have also been when I unfortunately realized most restaurants in North American essentially serve packages dust, or sweepings off the factory floor, disguised as tea. Yuck. Once you taste good tea, you can never go back!
TEA 102: REGIONS OF THE WORLD
Shabnam Weber taught this and all the rest of my courses. Shabnam is an entrepreneur and founder of The Tea Emporium in Toronto. She is an absolute encyclopedia of tea knowledge, and dedicated teacher. She also had a huge role in designing the tea sommelier program.
Regions of the world was COOL. As a travel-phile and cross-cultural nerd, I loved how each lesson here focused on tea in a different part of the world, from China, to Japan, Sri Lanka & India, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Russia, and more.
If Tea 101 got me hooked, Tea 102 grabbed me by the hand and said, “Yeah, you’re in this for the long haul.”
TEA 103: SENSORY DEVELOPMENT
Tea 103 was a more difficult course. I mean, everything is do-able and figure-out-able, but Sensory Development definitely challenged me. Instead of just focusing on fun facts, now we had to really learn to train our palates.
There was a lot of cross-comparison and blind taste testing, with a focus on describing what we were experiencing.
A rewarding part of the class was when we got to compare tasting notes for waters, chocolate, coffees, and olive oil.
This class might have also made an olive oil fan out of me.
TEA 104: TEA TYPES
Here we took a MUCH deeper dive into the various subdivisions of tea. Here’s an excerpt of my tasting list from the China section to give you an idea of what we tried. It goes far beyond ‘green,’ ‘black,’ etc.
· Bai hao yin zhen (Chinese white tea)
· Pai mu tan (Chinese white tea)
· Ti kuan yin (Chinese oolong)
· Gunpowder (Chinese green)
· Mao feng (Chinese green)
· Mao jian (Chinese green)
· Dragonwell (Chinese green)
· Jasmine (Chinese green)
· Keemun (Chinese black)
· Lapsang souchong (Chinese black)
And then just when you had your palette sorted with the differences between all those greens and whites, for example, then you’d start on a completely new region.
For example, India and Sri Lanka were as follows:
· Assam Black Orthodox (Indian black tea)
· Nilgiri (Indian black tea)
· Darjeeling White (Indian white tea)
· Darjeeling 1st Flush (a flush is a harvest) (Indian black tea)
· Darjeeling 2nd Flush (Indian black tea)
· Kandy (Sri Lankan black tea)
· Dimbula (Sri Lankan black tea)
· Nuwara Eliya (Sri Lankan black tea)
· Uva (Sri Lankan black tea)
· Ruhuna (Sri Lankan black tea)
· Green (Sri Lankan green tea)
You get the picture? It was great for making my palate more specific. The only way to know is to sip!
Wet oolong leaves are so pretty. Notice the red, partly oxidized edges.
TEA 105: FROM BUSH TO CUP
This section focuses much more in-depth on the process of harvesting and processing tea. Literally, how the leaf gets from the bush to your cup.
You'll talk a lot about practical problems that growers and producers face, like how to create a breakfast tea blend that tastes the same year after year, even when production and taste from tea fields differs year after year.
Another problem a buyer might face is how to store and transport tea from auction once it’s been bought. Tea is fickle to store. Any light or damp can have a negative affect!
We also learned about varieties of tea, hybridization, cloning, and some botanist considerations of tea. This is also where we discussed differences in production methods between countries that give each tea its unique taste.
For example, in China pan-frying stops tea from oxidizing. In Japan, it's steam. These two different methods give their respective teas unique flavour characteristics.
Another aspect of production is organic consideration and social responsibility—fair trade, regulations, codes of conduct, philosophies, etc.
TEA 106: PREPARATION, CONSUMPTION, AND HEALTH
Pretty straightforward and as the title says, this course focused on different ways tea is consumed around the world, with a focus on the health aspects of tea, which have spurred its popularity in North America especially.
Whether it's cold-steeped, brewed hot, left in the ground for days, or eaten, tea has a chemical effect on the body.
In this course we discuss compounds like caffeine, polyphenols like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), amino acids like L-Theanine, and more! EGCG is a catechin and often the subject of tea antioxidant studies. L-Theanine is responsible for tea inducing alpha waves in the brain. They’re the ones responsible for that pleasant ‘mindful alertness’ state you get when drinking tea.
TEA 107: MENU DESIGN, FOOD PAIRING & COOKING
THIS was a fun course. Here we focus on using tea in cooking and baking—from genmaicha-infused chicken noodle soup, to earl grey custards, and more.
The highlight of this course for me was the last project—picking your favourite restaurant and creating a paired tea menu to go with their offerings. Too much fun.
We also had to explain tea storage and service as though we were working with restaurateurs. Once again—restaurant owners! There’s no reason to be serving sub-par tea in your restaurants. There are lots of qualified tea sommeliers you can contract out to help you get your tea service top-notch.
Tasting teas with chocolate. One of my favourites (or two, actually!).
TEA 108: THE BUSINESS OF TEA
Oh, so you thought tea was all floral china cups and cucumber sandwiches? Not true!
Tea is a huge, global, multi-billion dollar industry with millions of people involved. Here you meet some of the big players, from growers, to pickers, to brands, to consumers. You'll find out how they all interact, how government regulations work, and how politics is also involved in the tea trade.
There’s also a nice section in here on Canadian Imports and Canadian tea statistics. I say ‘nice’ because normally when I’m doing online learning the course is almost invariably from America and requires me to do some extra research to find out if what I’m learning holds up in Canada. So it was nice not to have to do that here.
I enjoyed learning about the different relationships between smallholder growers, factory-owned estates, blending factories, overseas packers, distributors, retailers, auctions, and more. Man, it’s amazing the places your tea goes before it ever makes it into your cup.
https://www.asianschooloftea.org/aboutus
Ash Arnez
Ash is a fellow tea blogger who is regularly featured in my Friday Roundups. She’s also started making some great videos. I particularly enjoyed her last video reviewing her experience with DAVIDsTEA’s new subscription service.
As the tea brews
Tea is a family affair at As the tea brews. I love hearing about the different ways that Stacey’s family enjoys their tea, whether it is hot, iced, or as a latte. Definitely check out the videos of her tea organization and storage.
Dana DeStephano
Dana is your girl if you are looking for reviews on anything related to DAVIDsTEA. I really enjoy her ‘Tea I drink in a day’ vlogs, and the tea shelf in the background of many of her videos might rival my own.
Eustea Reads
Eustacia’s blog is my go-to for book recommendations, but she also shares plenty of videos too. Her teacup hauls always make me want to hit up an antique store ASAP. Watch out Etsy, here I come!
HannahRuthTea
Hannah’s channel was one of my favorites a few years ago, and I was super happy to see that she has started uploading again. I love how much information she includes about the tea and region in her reviews.
Jackie Allen
Jackie’s unbridled enthusiasm for tea has made watching her journey so much fun. I don’t think you’ll find anyone who loves their gaiwan more. Watch out for adorable cameos from her son Ollie.
Kayla’s Kitchen
Kayla posts lots of great tea-related videos as well as delicious recipes that would pair perfectly with a nice cup of tea. Her commitment to vlogmas during advent calendar season was truly impressive.
My Corner Online
Cheryl’s videos are always so calming to watch. She shares in-depth tea reviews that are more like immersive experiences. You’ll also find bird watching, garden walks, and lots of other great videos.
Rosie Loves Tea
Cindy’s channel is the place to be if you love tea, cakes, and cocktails. I definitely need to try some of her concoctions. Don’t miss her tutorial for making the trendy tea bombs that have been all over Pinterest!
Samantha Robinson
Speaking of tea cocktails, you’ll definitely want to check out Samantha’s channel if those interest you. She might hold the title for most advent calendars enjoyed simultaneously. I also love seeing her pet ducks.
Sarah’n’Tea
Sarah has a massive DAVIDsTEA collection but she also shares reviews from lots of other brands. I love seeing all of the beautiful outdoor locations that she chooses to shoot in. Keep an eye out for the chickens!
Steeping Time
Lauren shares wonderful tea and book reviews on her channel. My favorite series is Bedtime Stories, where she read chapters from The Book of Tea. She does voiceover professionally so it is a perfect combo.
Tea & Music
I don’t think there could be a more perfect pair than tea and music. Tabitha’s channel is one of my favorites to listen to while I’m writing blog posts. Her videos are super chill and relaxing to watch.
Tea Crazed
Care shares a variety of tea content, including reviews, unboxings, and deep dives into specific tea types. I love her energy and enthusiasm for my favorite subject. That is definitely something we have in common.
Teadious Obsessions
KJ is the queen of tea hauls. You’ll also find videos about her empties each month and reviews. My favorites are the Love You a Latté series where she sells special tea gifts she has received and the memories that go with them.
Tea DB
James and Denny have one of the longest-running tea YouTube channels. They are definitely your go-to guys if you are interested in puerh. I also really enjoy James’ inbetweenisodes and their Q&A videos.
Tea End Blog
Gabie from Tea End Blog is the perfect channel for tea-sipping bookworms. She shares tea and book reviews as well as poetry readings. There are also lots of great DIY projects and recipes to follow.
Tea Fueled Writer
Katie is just getting started, but I’m really enjoying her chatty and casual vlogging style. It’s also fascinating to hear about her process as a writer. Check out her recent videos showing off her teacup collection!
Tea Leaves and Tweed
Jenn is a fellow tea blogger. Her YouTube channel has a bit more of a historical focus. I love learning about different historical figures through the lens of tea. She puts so much research and detail into each one.
Tea Leaf Project
Stephenia is one of the most prolific tea YouTube channels. You’ll find reviews of all things tea and teaware. I also really enjoy her series where she pairs the book she is reading with a particular tea.
Tea with Jann
Jann radiates positivity and enthusiasm for tea. She’s recently launched a weekly series called Tea News where she shares all of the good news going on in the tea world. Make sure to catch her interviews too!
Tea Review in Two
Avrin is a passionate and curious tea drinker who frequently reviews teas and accessories from DAVIDsTEA and other companies. His videos have influenced me into visiting Dunkin Donuts much more often than planned.
Teas by Dani
Dani has been reviewing tea on YouTube for about a year. She has recently dived headfirst into exploring more pure and traditional teas and it has been so much fun to follow her journey. It makes me nostalgic for my own early days.
Vals VarieTEA
Looking for a tea deal on Amazon? Val is your channel for recommendations and reviews. She loves collecting gaiwans and all things turquoise. I add new things to my wish list every time she releases a new video.
INSTITUTES FOR TEA LEARNINGS
World Tea Academy
Lisa Boalt Richardson has traveled the globe extensively, researching and learning from masters about tea and specialty tea. Forming “Lisa Knows Tea” in 2000, Richardson has consulted with numerous companies and fortune 500s – including Lipton-PepsiCo, Unilever and Bigelow – to help them develop products and launch new tea lines. She’s also trained employees at major brands about tea knowledge and service. Overall, Richardson is a sought-out speaker, industry expert and educator, teaching both the industry and the public. She authored three tea books with her latest being Modern Tea: A Fresh Look at an Ancient Beverage (Chronicle Books 2014). She’s also been featured by The New York Times, NPR, Food & Wine, Fox News, BrandWeek, National Geographic, Discovery, HGTV Magazine, Chowhound, Women’s Health, Real Simple, Shape, and World Tea News, among many others.
WTA Certified Tea Specialist™ - Structured to build basic core level tea knowledge, which is a must-have for tea business owners, managers, staff, or anyone who sells tea in their business. (Required for any Advanced Certifications)
In our Advanced Curriculum, all Advanced tea certifications will require students to complete seven tea classes in their desired designation to earn their tea certification. Students will need to complete their WTA Certified Tea Specialist certification to earn any Advanced Tea Certifications. you can achieve one or more of the following higher-level designations:
WTA Certified Tea Professional™ - Devised for tea business owners and individuals who want to advance their knowledge of the tea trade.
WTA Certified Tea Sommelier™ - Created for tearoom owners, foodservice professional, or anyone who serves tea or wants to pair tea and food in their business.
WTA Certified Tea Health Expert™ - Designed for spas, nutritionist, dietitians, holistic healing, and wellness professionals that want to have a better awareness of tea’s health properties.
WTA Certified Tea Blender™- Curated to provide the technical tea skills and understanding of the art and science of creating tea blends and customized tea products.
WTA Certified Tea Aroma Expert™ - Crafted for the tea professional looking to become a better tea taster, tea purchaser, and tea blender by enhancing their organoleptic and sensory skills.
Tea courses in India :
l Certified Course in Tea Tasting
Birla Institute of Futuristic Studies , Kolkata
l Certified Course in Tea Management
Dipras Institute of Professional Studies , Kolkata
l Tea tasting course
Dipras Institute of Professional Studies , Kolkata
l Professional Certified Programme in Tea Tasting and Management
Indian Institute of Plantation Management , Bangalore
Diploma in Tea Courses
l Diploma and Post Graduate Diploma Courses in Tea
Birla Institute of Futuristic Studies , Kolkata
l Post Graduate Diploma in Tea
Darjeeling Tea Research and Management Association , Darjeeling
l Post Graduate Diploma in Tea Management
University of North Bengal
Degree and Post Graduate Degrees in Tea
l BSc / MSc Agriculture in Tea Husbandry & Technology
Assam Agriculture University
l BSc / MSc Agriculture in Tea Husbandry & Technology
Sarwan Kumar Krishi Vidyalaya , Palampur , Himachal Pradesh
l MSc Agriculture in Tea Husbandry & Technology
Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya
l MSc Agriculture in Tea Husbandry & Technology
Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya
l MSc Agriculture in Tea Husbandry & Technology
Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU)
List of Partner Institutes of The Tea Board :
Following research institutes / universities are involved in research as partner institute with NTRF:
Tea Research Institutes:
Tocklai Tea Research Institute, (RTRI)
UPASI - Tea Research Foundation (UPASITRF-TRI)
Darjeeling Tea Research & Development Centre (DTR&DC)
Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur
Universities:
Calcutta University
Jadavpur University
Visva Bharati
Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh
North Bengal University
Assam University, Silchar
West Bengal University of Technology
Presidency College, Kolkata
University of Madras, Chennai
Vidyasagar University, Medinipur
West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata
West Bengal State University, Barasat
Karunya University, Tamil Nadu
Tezpur University, Assam
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Kolkata
Agricultural Universities:
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam
Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishva Vidyalaya, Kalyani, West Bengal
C.S.K. Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishva Vidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
Research Institutes:
Allergy & Asthma Research Centre, Kolkata
Bose Institute, Kolkata (DST)
Centre for Development of Advance Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata
Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Lucknow (CSIR)
Vivekananda Institute of Medical Sciences, Kolkata
North-East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat (CSIR)
Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, (ACTREC)
Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (Min of Health, GOI)
S.N.Pradhan Centre for Neurosciences (Cal.Univ)
Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology, Palampur (CSIR)
Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR)
Vellore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu
Bharthi Women’s College, Chennai
Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata
KPC Medical College & Hospital
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur,
Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati
S.T.Hindu College, Nagercoil, Chennai
Mazumdar Shaw Centre for Translational Research, Bangalore
National Research Institute of Ayurveda for Drug Development, (AYUSH), Kolkata
ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bangalore
K. S. Rangasami College, Tamil Nadu
NRS Medical College, Kolkata
Moulana Azad College, Kolkata
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar
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