Tea in the Spotlight



Tea is certainly a big revenue driver in the hot beverages industry.

With the global tea market expected to grow by 6.9% each year until 2023, there is a huge demand from consumers which is only set to soar.

With tea in such high demand, we’ve gathered the latest insights to keep you up to date on key trends and opportunities to increase revenue.

Just how big is the tea market globally?

Tea dominates the global market in popularity, revenue, growth, and emerging trends, with the global tea industry worth $214,761 million. And if we zero-in on the UK, it’s no secret that us Brits delight in a cup of tea, with 100 million cups consumed every day. What’s more, the UK has the largest European market share, amounting to 133 thousand tonnes of tea.

What trends are emerging in tea drinking?

More people have had to get their tea fix at home over the past 18 months due to the pandemic. Therefore, it’s fair to say consumers’ knowledge and expectation of the taste, quality and appearance of their beverage is higher than ever. As a result, consumers want a greater choice of tea.

While English Breakfast Tea is often seen as the most popular choice  at many cafés, coffee shops and hotels, over half of consumers (51%)[1] would be more likely to choose another type of tea out of home.

[1] 3GEM conducted with 1,000 tea drinkers (January 2020) and 500 tea operators in the hot beverage industry (January 2020)

Of those likely to choose another tea, the most popular choices are:

  1. Green tea
  2. Other flavoured tea eg. tea that has been blended with dried fruits, dried flowers, dried herbs or dried spices (or a mixture of these additional ingredients)
  3. Chai tea
  4. White tea
  5. Peppermint infusion

How does drinking tea make consumers feel?

Our new independent research revealed the potential wellbeing benefits a tea ‘break’ can bring. Two-thirds (64%) of tea drinkers believe taking time to have a cup of tea at home has a positive effect on their mental health, admitting it helps them to feel relaxed. Almost half (41%) agree that it helps them calm down and reduce stress levels.

With this in mind, there is a clear opportunity for operators to grab a slice of the action, but how do they encourage consumers to drink tea out of their homes?

What would make consumers more likely to consume tea in a café?

We recently asked 1,000 consumers what would make them more likely to consume tea out of home. The top answer was a separate tea menu with more choice, for example offering a selection of loose-leaf tea, giving a little background on each tea with tasting notes, or offering advice on how long to brew each tea for and whether or not to add milk.

Jane Pettigrew UK Tea Academy

BRITA enthusiast Jane Pettigrew from The UK Tea Academy offers top tips on how to increase revenue with tea sales:

  • Choice: While English Breakfast Tea is often seen as the most popular choice of tea at many cafés, coffee shops and hotels, over half of consumers (51%) would be more likely to choose another type of tea out of home
  • Quality: Almost half (46%) of tea drinkers don’t believe the quality of tea is better in cafés than it is at home. In fact, tea operators believe the reasons for missed opportunities in the sector are the quality of tea used (64%) and the lack of training on how to make a good cuppa (40%)
  •  Ambience: Of those that do enjoy a cup of tea out of home, almost half (41%) said the ambience of the location was one of the biggest drivers. Tea drinkers provide other opportunities too as 60% of consumers typically make additional food purchases alongside their tea[1]

[1] 3GEM in collaboration with BRITA Professional (November 2018)

What’s the not-so-secret ingredient for a quality cuppa?

With lots of factors to consider, it would be remis of us to not mention the key element that helps make a standout brew - water. Afterall, you will be well aware that a wide choice of well-sourced tea and carefully crafted ambience is just the beginning. Using a water filter and exchanging it on time is vital to ensuring a consistent and quality taste from your tea.

If you’re keen to find out more about the science behind creating a great-tasting cup of tea, look no further. Here at BRITA Professional, we co-created a white paper with the UK Tea Academy, which reveals the perfect water specifications for making a perfect cup of tea and much more.

To download your copy, visit UK Tea Academy. 

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