6 tips to stand out with tea

'There is a lot to be gained from tea, as long as you really make it an experience,' tells Noraly Duizer, Brand & Communications Manager at Bradley's. 'Also, tea often concludes a dinner and is therefore the last impression you leave on your guests as a hospitality entrepreneur.' She has six tips to successfully put tea on the map.

Tip 1: Serve guests different tea to what they drink at home

When you drink tea as a guest, you want something different from the usual cup of tea you have at home, says Duizer. ‘With Bradley’s tea, hospitality venues can professionally and consistently serve delicious tea. The fact that our tea is sold exclusively to the hospitality trade sets us apart from other brands.’

The packaging of the tea also adds to the experience. ‘We opted for colourful, sleekly designed packaging. On all packaging across our ranges there is a number, which denotes a specific flavour.’

Tip 2: Choose the tea that best complements your business and taste

Bradley’s offers three different ranges. So there is always a tea to suit your business and taste. ‘We offer our exclusive Piraminis in 14 different, beguiling flavours,’ explains Duizer.

On top of that, for companies that like to serve organic products, there is the Organic range, which consists of 15 delicious flavours. Last but not least, the Favourites range includes 14 crowd-pleasers that are immensely popular. ‘Take rooibos and green tea with lemon, for instance. These are guaranteed to be in the top three favourite tea flavours.’ She also thinks ginger lemon should definitely be included in the range too. ‘This flavour was bang-on trend a few years ago, but has since become a true classic.’

Ginger lemon was bang-on trend, but has since become a classic

Tip 3: Opt for quality

It goes without saying that superlative quality is hugely important. ‘Therefore, choose coarse tea leaves. These have the space to release all the flavour. All Bradley’s blends are 100% natural and guarantee a rich taste experience’.

Tip 4: Opt for a sustainable and social impact

Duizer knows that sustainability and social impact are becoming increasingly important on a corporate level. ‘By serving our tea, hospitality venues can contribute to this. Unlike most other tea brands, Bradley’s tea is grown and packaged entirely in Sri Lanka. The tea leaves are hand-picked on the steep slopes of Sri Lanka’s tea plantations. They aren’t then shipped to The Netherlands, but instead are processed directly into tea.

The tea boxes and envelopes are also from Sri Lanka. Duizer: ‘This stimulates employment and every cup of tea contributes to a growing local economy in Sri Lanka. Not only that, but all Bradley’s teas are FairTrade certified. That means high standards are met in terms of working conditions and the environment’.

tea

Tip 5: Ensure optimal presentation

‘The Piraminis are packaged in a colourful, iconic gift box. That makes for a unique presentation,’ Duizer explains. ‘Inside the box is a pyramid-shaped tea bag, for a luxurious look. It also gives the ingredients plenty of space, releasing the best flavours and aromas. That way, a cup of tea becomes a small gift.’

For optimal presentation, Bradley’s has developed a luxury tea box, which can accommodate 30 boxes. A more compact version has been developed especially for outside cafés: this holds nine boxes. Bear the whole picture in mind, she advises. ‘Not only should you choose a lovely tea box, but professional crockery too. A ‘tea tip’ completes the experience.’

Tip 6: Serve tea at the right temperature

Lastly, Duizer stresses the importance of serving tea at the right temperature. This is the only way to create an optimal taste experience. ‘For black tea and infusions, 100 degrees is perfect, but for green tea, the water should be cooled to 80 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, the tea will have a bitter taste.’