Speciality Food - October 2025

14 TRENDWATCH Sponsored by U s Britsmay be a nation of tea lovers, but the days of the classic builder’s brew being our cuppa of choice could well be numbered... With younger generations moving away from traditional black tea blends towards herbal and/or functional infusions, there’s never been a better time to refresh your tea range. WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE UK TEAMARKET RIGHT NOW? According toMintel/Cicada’s Tea & Other Hot Drinks report, fruit and herbal teas are on a striking upwards trajectory, with a value of £139million and a YOY growth rate of 14% – in stark contrast to the black tea sector, whichwhile worth £377million is only seeing half of that growth annually. Black tea salesmay be dropping, but there are plenty of other opportunities out there for discerning retailers and the shoppers they serve. “Whilst it is true that retail sales of black tea are down, consumer uptake of other categories i.e green and white teas, is on an upward trend,” agrees Carri Hecks of the UK Tea Academy. WHAT’S BEHIND THE GROWTH IN HERBAL TEA? “Older age groups are looking to wellness blends, herbals and functional teas/infusions to help combat ageing and to stay in step with recent health trends,” explains Carri. “Wellness podcasts offer really great insights into all the products available and howwell they perform.” “The growth of herbal teas, organic choices, and innovative blends reflects a global shift toward wellness and sustainability,” explains Suranga Herath, CEO of English Tea Shop. “At English Tea Shop, this has always been our focus and we use an extensive range of organic ingredients, and we’re committed tomaking it even better with every blend we create.” AREN’T HERBAL TEAS A LITTLE... BLAND? Offering a flavour-packed alternative to the often bland and dusty fruit teas in themainstreammarket was a key driver for Craig Harries, managing director of Flavourhead. With professional experience within the taste-drivenworld of cocktails, he was inspired to produce a format that let a perfectly balanced blend of ingredients sing. “Cocktails are a carefully curated balance of ingredients, and like fine wines, a really great quality one has distinct layers of flavour,” he says. Inspired by popular cocktails like negronis and tequila sunrise, Flavourhead blends deliver the taste promised by their aromas – a feat all too rare in the herbal tea realm– and this is what customers are looking for now; particularly those who are looking to step away frommass- produced brands towards a carefully crafted experience. HOWABOUT MATCHA AND BUBBLE TEA? “The growing awareness of themany benefits of matcha is fuelling interest alongside amassive presence on social media – particularly TikTok and Instagram. In fact, the hashtag #matcha currently has 9million posts,” says Carri. “Meanwhile, bubble tea is behind a generational shift challenging coffee as Gen Z andMillennials are influenced by “THE FUNCTIONAL TEA MARKET COULD BE WORTH £12.2 BILLION BY 2032” HOLLAND & BARRETT 2025 TRENDS REPORT migration patterns, social media influencers and food trends, according to Ruby Tandoh in her book All Consuming.” WHAT’S BEHIND THE HEALTH CLAIMS? “Tea is packed with polyphenols –which is a current buzzword in gut health,” says Carri. “Also known as antioxidants, it has been discovered that they help combat gut inflammationwhich can lead to serious diseases and health issues. There is also amagic ingredient in tea called L-Theanine, an amino acid which calms the brain, whilst the lower levels of caffeine keeps us alert but not overstimulated. Which probably accounts for why we often have a cup of tea first thing in the morning or later in the day, rather than coffee, which can over stimulate and give us the jitters or prevent us fromsleeping.” WHAT IS ‘CLEAN’ CAFFEINE? Caffeine is the talk of the town right now, and withmany shoppers opting for decaf blends – to improve sleep or reduce symptoms of stress – decaf products or those boasting ‘clean’ caffeine are worth exploration. In a nutshell, ‘clean’ caffeine is a health-led trend that ticks a lot of speciality retailer boxes. The buzzword refers to caffeine that has a natural andminimally processed source. A high quality, low/no sugar or chemically-treated tea ismore likely to have ‘clean’ caffeine than amass- produced, highly processed one, and is less likely to cause unpleasant side effects such as the infamous ‘jitters’. WHAT ELSE IS TRENDING? Believe it or not, teapots are back in vogue. According to a recent study by Yorkshire Tea, Gen Z ismore likely than any other generation to use a teapot whilemaking a brew. Indeed, more than a quarter (26%) of 18-24 year olds use one every day, compared to 14% of all age groups. This could be in part down to the reputed health benefits of using a teapot such as contributing to your iron intake (if you brewusng a cast iron teapot). Having said that, nearly a fifth (19%) of UK consumers own a teapot and don’t use it, so don’t put all your eggs in the loose tea basket just yet. NEXT GEN TEA The tide is turning when it comes to tea The growth of herbal teas, organic choices, and innovative blends reflects a global shift toward wellness and sustainability The Life & Soul of the Pantry ORDER AT TRADE.TRACKLEMENTS.CO.UKOR CALL:01666 827044