The Missed Opportuni-tea

Consumers don’t believe the quality of tea is better in cafés than at home - we looked at the opportunity for the hospitality sector to change this

Here at BRITA we love a good cup of tea and always have a stock of different teas in the office so everyone can have their favourite brew. However for a nation known for its love of tea, there are surprisingly few options for Brits to grab a good cuppa while out of home. We took a closer look the nation's favourite drinks and why customers choose to enjoy their favourite cuppa tea at home instead of visiting cafes, tea rooms and restaurants.

According to the figures, while 52% of consumers say the taste of coffee would make them choose to visit a café over another, 46% don’t believe the quality of tea is better in cafés than at home.

The findings show that 29% of consumers prefer the taste of tea when it’s made at home rather than served in a café. And, while 37% of consumers visit a café to drink coffee they can’t make at home, only 15% say the same for tea. This demonstrates an opportunity for cafes to improve their tea offering and tap into the 165 million cups that are consumed daily in the UK.

What are consumers looking for in a quality hot drink?

A difference in consumers' view of what makes a quality hot beverage and what operators do was highlighted in our research. For consumers, the top three aspects are the machine used, if it’s made with filtered water and if artisanal coffee beans are used. Yet for baristas, the top three measures are using poor quality products, burnt or stale coffee beans and inexperienced staff.

Britain's favourite types of tea

Black tea with milk (78%)
Green tea (39%)
Fruit tea (34%)
Herbal tea (33%)
Black tea without milk (22%)

See the results and read the full story - Download the Beyond The Brew ezine

Beyond The Brew

(PDF, 18.45 MB)

Download now

Jane Pettigrew, Founder of the UK Tea Academy

Tea out of home is usually pretty poor. It is getting better, but the majority of catering outlets still don’t give enough thought to tea. It is beginning to change and there are two reasons for that. Consumers are demanding better. And there are some really good tea companies out there who are now telling them, “Your tea is not good enough. You need to up your game”.