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“Our research clearly shows that consumers are feeling let down by the tea they drink in cafés and restaurants
£5
Price some people are prepared to pay for a speciality tea
Crunching the numbers 40%
said that their last out-of-home cup of tea was worse than the tea they drink at home
By hot drinks specialist writer Ian Boughton The tea sector has always been dominated by the concept of ‘the British cuppa’, which is not the world’s best tea, typically made from a low-grade blend of two or three teas. While a recent report by a ‘shopper
marketing specialist’ tells us that we drank 870 million fewer cups of tea last year, this contradiction is, we are told, explained by the drop in black tea being made up by the rise in herbals and fruit infusions. Three-quarters of tea consumed out
of home each day is black – meaning that it is black tea processed from India, Ceylon and Africa. Against this, herbal ‘teas’, which may or may not have a tea ingredient, are up by 10% each year. It is reported that tea drinkers are
now keener on alternative flavours and more willing to try cold teas, green teas, more unusual Chinese teas and matcha teas, which are served at less-than- scalding temperatures. The 25- to 34-year old group is widely
polled 2,000 people across the UK, and its key findings include: ● 44% of respondents named tea as their preferred hot drink at home, compared to just 31% for coffee. In contrast, when out of home, only 15% opt for tea, with 49% choosing to drink coffee instead. ● 40% of those surveyed said that the last cup of tea they drank out of home was worse than the tea they generally drink at home, with 13% saying it was much worse. ● 28% of those surveyed were not satisfied with the last cup of tea they were served in an out-of-home establishment. ● Of those that rated their most recent cup of tea at an out-of-home establishment as worse than the tea they drink at home:
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– 53% said it didn’t taste as good – 49% said it was weaker
– 22% said they did not have access to their preferred tea brand.
● 42% said their opinion of an out-of-home establishment had been affected by the quality of the tea they were served. ● 48% were more likely to visit a café or restaurant if it served good-quality tea.
Natalie Cross, out-of-home manager at Taylors of Harrogate, said: “Our research shows that consumers feel let down by the tea they drink in cafés and restaurants around the UK. Black tea with milk is still the preferred tea option out of home with 61% regularly consuming this brew, so caterers need to get their standard tea right.”
held to be the biggest target market for speciality teas – half of those who drink fruit or herbal tea will also drink green tea and are interested in speciality black teas. By contrast, the overall tea-drinking preferences among all British consumers show far smaller figures interested in ‘other’ tea drinks. The younger group is also reported to be interested in the concept of pairing tea with food as an alternative to wine. Will they pay a decent price for it?
One report found, astonishingly, that its respondents would be prepared to pay £5 for a speciality tea, £4.20 for an iced tea in bottle served nicely in a glass with garnish, £3.50 for a matcha latte and £2.20 for herbal tea – but a relatively low £1.85 for breakfast tea. The concept of an ‘occasion’ refers to
the growing number of tea ‘experiences’ we see in all kinds of catering locations – certainly, more venues are now being seen to offer afternoon tea in versions of the three-tier tray concept.
Drinks Guide 2019 | 29
around the UK” Natalie Cross, Taylors of Harrogate
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