Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
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THE WHOLE LEAF continued from page 64 the purchase "the most significant development in the specialty- accelerated, high-speed growth." But in which directions will this tea industry that's ever occurred." The move suggests that serious growth take place? According to our panel of experts, there are capital management is ready to focus on tea as a viable business four areas in which tea will have strong expansion: investment, and it means that both small • GROCERY. Carbonated soft drinks and and large tea operations in the future should energy drinks are increasingly under siege As American palates evolve, find an easier path for financing. as evidence continues to mount of their the offerings of eateries must, While banks and investors are interharmful health effects. Soft-drink contoo. We can expect an increase ested in tea's profitability and margins, sumption is falling dramatically as a result, in quality and selection of teas consumers are intrigued by its history and leaving space for another drink to earn in food establishments in the flavors. Spillane says, "Tea is an ancient market share. "Tea is perfect," Bolton says, product that is just being rediscovered by "as it's inexpensive, readily available, perfuture to more closely match Americans." As a nation, we know very ceived as healthy and thirst-quenching." In the expectations of a betterlittle about something that has been in the coming years, traditional grocery aisles informed clientele. the world's cupboards for more than 4,000 could more closely resemble those of Asian years. But technology helps to close this grocery stores, with a superior selection of gap quickly, thanks to a vast number of resources available online. quality teas available to the consumer. Easily sourced books, magazines, articles, blogs, podcasts and • FOODSERVICE. Eighty to 85 percent of tea consumed in videos offer a wealth of information with minimal (if any) costs. America is iced tea, and much of that is served in restaurants. Consumers can now educate themselves quickly and affordably on Whether hot or iced, "Most restaurants serve poor-to-mediocre the history, variety, and proper preparation of tea. tea," says Keating. As American palates evolve, the offerings of eateries must, too. We can expect an increase in quality and selection of teas in food establishments in the future to more closely AREAS OF GROWTH match the expectations of a better-informed clientele. In Keating's view, "Momentum has been building since the • RETAIL TEA OUTLETS. The panel agrees that more specialtymid-'90s and the industry has germinated, so it's now ready for tea retail outlets will appear, whether as independent retailers or continued on page 68 freshcup.com October 2013 67