The first historical records of hot herbal teas being consumed appear in the earliest Chinese Pharmacopeia, which is attributed to the Chinese emperor “Shennong” (around 3,000 BC). Tradition has taught us that the beneficial properties of herbals and fruits have been adopted in a remarkable and sometimes even unusual manner in the course of the past centuries. Besides relieving certain symptoms, herbs were considered to open the mind for spiritual insights.
The consumption of herbal and fruit infusions – pure or mixed – just for enjoying the taste has become very popular in the recent history. Resulting from an increased health awareness of the consumers, drinking herbal and fruit infusions started to boom in the 1980’s.
Tea Facts & Figures
- The UK bought 5.7 million fewer pounds of traditional tea in 2017- May 18, which is the biggest drop in four years – while fruit and herbal blends are rising.
- Tetley lost 40% of its shelf presence in retailer Tesco due to the rise in fruit and herbal teas entering convenience stores and supermarkets.
- Euromonitor statistics show that 48% of 25-34 year olds regularly drink a fruit blend, with only 22% drinking a traditional tea, meaning they are twice as likely to consume speciality teas than older consumers, with only 28% of 44-54 year olds consuming a speciality tea.
- Sales of green tea bags, fruit and herbal tea bags and other speciality teas now account for 29% of the market (up from 22% in 2013).
- The flavour of standard black tea was also found to be “unappealing” to younger people, especially compared to speciality teas which are often thought of as a treat.
- It was also found that 16 per cent of people believe black tea has too much caffeine in it to drink in the afternoon, while a further 13 per cent believe it’s not good for hydration.
At Supplement Factory, we look to provide new, innovative ideas to market using new dosage methods. Teas and hot drinks have quickly become a key part of the health and wellness category, with big brands such as Bootea and Skinny Coffee having a huge presence in retail stores.
Wellness teas take naturally occurring aspects of tea one step further, incorporating herbs, spices and other ingredients that you would not find in a standard breakfast tea and boosting the blend’s health benefits. The biggest reasons that wellness teas have been so fondly accepted into people’s diets is that it is a quick and easy lifestyle swap. It is more manageable for people working busy modern lifestyles to consider swapping a latte or cup of tea for a healthier herbal option than to consider a complete overhaul of diet and exercise.
What really stands out within a wellness tea is that the blends are often colourful, and many come in loose leaf formations, meaning you get the visually pleasing aspect of seeing rosehips, orange peel and other dried fruits combined with the usual blend of leaves and herbs – increasing the whole experience to another level.
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