As part of its annual Global Beverage Trends Report, B2B tea, coffee and extracts supplier Finlays has outlined five key trends that are predicted to impact the beverage industry over the next twelve months (and beyond). Finlays’ top global beverage trends for 2024 are:

• Fast Fad-sion — the ‘fad’ trend cycle in consumer behaviour represents the rapid rise and fall of popular trends, often driven by social media and influencers. From viral coffee concoctions (remember Dalgona coffee during pandemic lockdowns?) to ‘the next big ingredient’ in wellness, consumers embrace and move on from these trends swiftly. Finlays notes this presents both opportunities and challenges for beverage companies, which must stay nimble and be ready to innovate and adapt to ever-changing consumer preferences.
• Hyper Targeted Health — technology and data offering customized health solutions have revolutionized consumers’ attitudes to health and personal wellbeing. Individuals now have access to precise insights and recommendations tailored to their unique needs, from personalized nutrition plans to fitness routines and optimising mental performance. In the beverage sector, consumers can receive personalized tea blends and coffee roasts, utilizing data-driven recommendations to meet their health goals. (This also includes customizing additives, especially dairy-free ones such as almond milk and oatmilk.) “This empowers individuals to prioritize a holistic approach to their wellbeing, incorporating healthy beverages into their routines in place of traditional tablet-based supplements.”
• Statement Spending — within this trend, “consumers’ personal identities and values influence their purchasing decisions and shoppers seek products that align with their self-image and beliefs. For example, “individuals opt for artisanal, locally sourced coffees to showcase their support for sustainability and small-scale producers. While those seeking a health-conscious image may gravitate towards organic smoothies and wellness teas.” To cater to this trend, Finlays says brands must focus on authenticity, sustainability, and individual expression.

•  Need for Speed — in the beverage industry, simplified customer payment processes are gaining momentum. “Coffee shops are using mobile apps to allow customers to order and pay in advance to reduce wait times, and consumers can get craft beer and speciality coffee delivered directly to their door via subscription services.” It’s no longer just the quality of a product which will win a brand the edge over its competitors, it’s also the convenience and speed of its delivery. Finlays believes brands can stay ahead by adopting innovative solutions that reduce spending friction for consumers – whether that’s greater access to products online, ease of delivery or speed of preparation.However, Matthew Barry, senior beverages analysts has spoken on several occasions about the path coffee shops must take following the pandemic and amid concerns of an impending recession (which, thankfully, keeps getting ‘pushed back’): they must either offer speed/convenience or experience. While many consumers want to ‘get in and get out’ with their coffee or tea (hence the rise in mobile orders and shores retrofitting their interiors to increase space to accommodate the growing number of mobile orders), others want an elevated in-store experience either through enhanced offerings, the look, feel and ‘vibe’ of the store, and of course, superior customer service.
• Actively Green — in today’s consumer landscape, brands must adopt proactive sustainability strategies that reflect increasingly green customer demands, which is certainly not ‘new news’. This has shifted from merely ‘reducing impacting’, to becoming ‘zero impact’ or even promoting regeneration/carbon negative. Finlays explains that collaborating with suppliers that offer full supply chain transparency is crucial for understanding environment impacts, gaining consumer trust and promoting environmental causes. “Effective communication of ethical credentials, encompassing charitable initiatives and transparent metrics such as carbon output, is essential to resonate with today’s conscientious consumers.”

Commenting on the report, Finlays’ director of strategy & insights, Sian Edwards, said: “The beverage industry shows no sign of slowing down. Health, sustainability, and the thirst for innovation continue to be driving forces behind category development and high rates of launch activity. Our top trends for this year highlight the need for beverage operators to tune into consumers and be highly reactive to their needs. More than ever, working with trusted partners who can provide support for innovation is vital to accessing these high growth opportunities.”

To download Finlays’ full Global Beverage Trends Report 2024 click here.

I wish everyone a healthy new year filled with joy, peace, prosperity and certainly lots of great coffee and tea! Cheers!

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Despite 68% of Brits stating that their households enjoy the same ‘traditional’ Christmas meal, new research reveals that this isn’t the case at all, with younger and older generations having very different views about Christmas food, treats and even baubles!

When it comes to Christmas dinners, Gen Z are the least likely to want a traditional roast turkey, similar to millennials who are also hoping to rid of the turkey and enjoy a meat alternative this Christmas. Gen Z are also loathers of Brussels sprouts, while two-thirds of older generations want them at their perfect Christmas lunch only a quarter of Gen Z would be happy to have them on their plates. This is a similar case when it comes to cheese boards, with Gen Z being half as likely to have one than any other generation.

The survey of 2,000 Brits, commissioned by Costa Coffee, also highlighted that when it comes to desserts, Gen Z is 48% more likely to want Sticky Toffee Pudding as part of the Christmas day than mince pies and 70% more likely than Yule log. Costa Coffee also polled its 420K followers about their festive frights and fancies, and almost half (45%) voted for Sticky Toffee Pudding as their favourite festive treat, gingerbread biscuits came in second place with 35% of votes with less than a quarter (20%) voting for Christmas Pudding and almost half (46%) stating that Christmas Pudding is the thing they look forward to at Christmas.

Along with their desire to stir up their Christmas meals, Gen Z also has different preferences when it comes to Christmas drinks, with one-in-four wanting to sip on an iced coffee on Christmas day, which drops to one-in-five for eggnog or Irish cream.

Samantha Jardine, product developer at Costa Coffee, said: “It’s no surprise that Gen Z want to twist up their Christmas Day treats with deserts like Sticky Toffee pudding. With its sticky and sweet toffee flavour, the desert is one that’s been loved for generations and it’s great to see that it’s not going anywhere with Gen Z becoming the new advocates for one of the nation’s most treasured deserts.”

 Looking for inspiration to twist up your Christmas? Follow Samantha’s top tips this festive season:

1. Love them or hate them, Brussel sprouts are commonly found on Christmas tables across the nation. Not a fan? Try sprucing them up by drizzling them in maple or toffee syrup.
2. Christmas treats don’t need to be saved for Christmas day alone. Favourite festive deserts, like Sticky Toffee, can be enjoyed ahead of Christmas dinner this year at Costa Coffee, with a festive menu which includes a festive Sticky Toffee latte layered with sticky toffee flavoured sauce, topped with a light whip, drizzled with sauce & sprinkled with a bronze shimmer dust. An ideal festive treat!
3. Glazed carrots with a twist are a surefire way to spruce up Christmas lunch. Try glazing with sweet brown sugar and roasting so you enjoy delicious, caramelised edges and sticky toffee-like glaze!
4. Stir up your coffee on Christmas morning by adding a drizzle or sprinkle of something sweet like sticky toffee sauce or pair it with a sweet treat like a Sticky Toffee Loaf cake, also available on Costa Coffee’s festive menu!
5. Twist down the dial on your winter beverages and mix up traditions by enjoying an Iced Coffee or Iced Tea this festive season – a perfect refresher after wrapping last minute gifts by a warm fireplace.

Sticky Toffee Pudding is loved across the nation, being ranked the UK’s favourite dessert last year[ii], so it was only right that Costa Coffee transformed the classic pudding into a beverage this Christmas. The tasty new Sticky Toffee Latte and new Sticky Toffee Iced Latte have joined the coffee chain’s festive menu, providing coffee lovers – both hot and cold, with a new Christmas favourite. Both drinks feature a yummy sticky toffee flavoured sauce, topped with Light Whip, and drizzled with even more sauce, finished with a sprinkling of bronze shimmery, angel-like dust. Along with a Sticky Toffee beverage, customers can also tuck into a comforting slice of Costa Coffee’s new Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake, a toffee flavoured sponge cake which is topped with caramel frosting, caramel drizzle, and indulgent fudge pieces.  The ideal treat, for every generation.

Beyond the dining table, Gen Z have a desire to twist up their festive décor by bringing back old school decorations being more likely to go for outdoor ornaments (they’re a third more likely to have outdoor ornaments or outdoor Christmas lights than other gens on average); almost twice as likely as any other generation to go for fake snow and almost five times more likely to than baby boomers. They’re also fans of fake Christmas trees (75%), and Christmas music playlists (59%), in contrast to the boomer generation’s higher preferences for fairy lights (80%).

When it comes to Christmas activities it could be argued that Gen Z are the most philanthropic generation, with 50% more likely to volunteer around Christmas than any other generation. They’re also twice as likely to go for a festive run or workout compared to millennials who prefer to go to the pub (29%), go carolling (13%), and play board games (55%).

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The report, which details key trends in new seasonal beverage flavours and formats across 14 key European markets (including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom), finds that despite the typical need for ‘winter warming’, iced beverages now account for 23% of all festive/holiday season new-product launches — with hot beverages comprising the balance (77%). The Benelux and German markets lead the way in iced beverages, with 50% and 45%, respectively, of launches in those regions. Indulgent brown and spiced flavours remain essential for the holiday season with an increase in iced frappe formats as cold beverages become a year-round menu item.

For Winter 2023, seasonal beverages continue to be a key trend on menus to deliver excitement and novelty for consumers while driving in-store traffic for foodservice operators. Per Kerry’s Art of Taste & Nutrition: Festive Edition, the top three festive trends this year are:

1. Flavour Evolutions: Consumers are craving new and adventurous flavours, but they are wary of spending too much on something they might not enjoy, so they do not want anything that seems too ‘out there’. To meet this need, brands are using well established tastes but getting creative with naming to convey a more exotic and seasonal offering. For instance, instead of simply calling the flavour ‘orange’ the flavour profile has evolved to ‘mandarin’ or ‘clementine’. This has the bonus effect of making the product seem more premium.
2. Warming Seasonal Flavours: Foodservice operators are catering to the season with the addition of warming winter spices and indulgent brown flavours. Joined by the always popular caramel, chocolate and toffee, local seasonal favourites like cinnamon, cardamon and gingerbread enhance the occasion.
3. Delightful Indulgence: The holidays can be a stressful time for everybody so brands are spotting an opportunity to create a relaxing ‘feel-good’ moment in their customer’s day. The report observes a rise in flavoured hot chocolate, mochas and delicious frappes for that added ‘treat yourself’ indulgence. Elevated toppings, such as flavoured cream, delicious sauces and tasty biscuit/cookie and chocolate inclusions, add a sprinkling of festive magic.

In terms of festive flavours, the report, which analysed 250+ 2023 winter beverage launches, shows that similar to the past two years, chocolate still leads the way, with gingerbread a close second:

Top Five Festive Flavours

1. Chocolate (14%)
2. Gingerbread (13%)
3. Caramel (7%)
4. Toffee (7%)
5. Cinnamon (5%)

Past Festive Flavour Favourites 2022 2021

1. Chocolate Chocolate
2. Gingerbread Gingerbread
3. Caramel Caramel
4. Hazelnut Orange
5. Cinnamon Cinnamon

When choosing which type of beverage to be the base for the festive flavours, the latte far outranks other beverages (although it seems odd that the mocha is last while chocolate is the number one flavour since mocha is chocolate and coffee…):

Top Beverage Platforms

1. Latte (47%)
2. Hot Chocolate (22%)
3. Frappe (9%)
4. Hot Tea (7%)
5. Mocha (3%)

However, while consumers may indulge in limited-edition festive flavours during the holiday season, the Art of Taste & Nutrition: Festive Edition also reveals that many consumers are being mindful of their sugar and/or calorie intake.

Commenting on the new report, Daniel Sjogren, vice president of foodservice for Kerry Europe, said, “Our research shows that the shift toward simultaneously enhancing both indulgence and nutrition has influenced menus across Europe this festive season, and in fact far more noticeably than ever before. With many foodservice operators still searching for ways to translate these trending recipe advances into their menus, for the time being this trend is being driven predominantly by leading innovators.”

“The big challenge for foodservice beverage product developers going forward is maintaining appealing, indulgent beverage flavours while also reducing sugar and calorie content,” explained Sjogren. “These sugar-reduction efforts will pay off decisively by also improving sustainability credentials and success in this area. This is particularly helpful in reaching the mainly younger consumers who prioritize sustainability as a key purchase driver.”

To download the 2023 Art of Taste & Nutrition: Festive Edition report, click here.

Whether hot or cold, merry festive beverage indulging! Happy holidays and best wishes for a joyous, peaceful and healthy New Year!

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Starbucks Coffee launched the pumpkin spice latte – aka ‘PSL’ – in 2003. According to Starbucks, following the peppermint mocha, which was introduced the winter before and was its first ‘blockbuster seasonal beverage’, the company was looking for its first autumn limited-edition beverage. Starbucks noted that when Peter Dukes, (who was heading Starbucks espresso beverages at the time) and his team asked potential customers what flavours they were likely to purchase in a written survey, chocolate and caramel beverages consistently performed the best but pumpkin scored high on ‘uniqueness’.

The beverage creation process started by first sampling pumpkin pies and sipping espresso, and then the experiments began. From there the pumpkin spice latte was born.

In the fall of 2003, Starbucks tested the PSL in about 100 stores in Washington, DC and Vancouver, Canada. The next fall, the PSL rolled out to Starbucks stores across the US and Canada. Starbucks was apparently not completely convinced the PSL would be successful and considered changing over the next few years for something new. However, Dukes and him team realised they had a hit when Facebook and Twitter arrived in 2006, and “customers began sharing their love for PSL” on social media with their family and friends; and the coffee culture was inevitably changed.

These days, PSLs are ubiquitous on coffee shop menus around the world – e.g., Dunkin’s pumpkin spice signature latte and its nutty pumpkin coffee, Peet’s Coffee’s pumpkin latte, PJ’s Coffee’s pumpkin sweet cold foam – and the offerings have been continually upgraded and expanded. Since 2015, Starbucks’ PSL pumpkin sauce has included real pumpkin puree, made from kabocha pumpkins. Pumpkin spice K-Cups and teas (loose leaf and tea bags) from leading brands are now available in grocery stores, mass retailers and online.

Of course, given the popularity of cold brew coffee, Starbucks introduced Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew a couple of years ago and many others followed suit (such as Dunkin’s pumpkin cream cold brew and Peet’s pumpkin oat foam cold brew to name just a couple). And in response to a TikTok craze last year, new to Starbucks’ fall menu this year is the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte. Peet’s also offers a pumpkin chai, served hot or cold. (Check out our Main News section to see which brands have already launched their pumpkin spice beverage items.)

While I enjoy pumpkin spice-flavoured foods, I have never liked any pumpkin spice latte — too sweet and too filling. But I did try a cold brew version, and I admit that I quite enjoyed it because I found it to be less sweet and not as heavy as a latte.

Other autumn flavours have started appearing on coffee shop’s limited-edition menus such as apple and maple (like Costa Coffee’s maple hazel latte) but they have not yet hit the iconic status of the pumpkin spice latte. Maybe soon there will be a new beverage to challenge it, but for now fans can savour PSL season while it lasts.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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TikTok’s 1.5 billion users make it a hugely influential tastemaker in the beverages space, particularly for Gen Z. And not just because of the volume of global users – but because TikTok is increasingly the platform Gen Z uses as a search engine over more traditional services like Google. In short, TikTok simply can’t be ignored. 

The at-home revolution 

With millions of creators sharing aspirational daily routine videos, how-to instructionals and recipes, we’re seeing tea and coffee beverages being prepared by consumers in highly innovative ways, which would previously only have been attempted in foodservice channels. From frothy matcha + vanilla oat milk lattes to rose milk tea with Lindt chocolate balls, these videos reference health trends, flavour innovation and moments of indulgence for consumers seeking to elevate their everyday consumption experiences.  

These videos are inspiring an at-home revolution, with consumers replicating the recipes, and developing new products of their own. What seems like light-hearted fun with beverages could indicate a major shift in consumer behaviour post pandemic and the resulting economic downturn.  

During Covid-19 we saw major growth in the trend for ‘in-speriences’, with consumers seeking new product experiences from the confines of their own home. This led to a surge in creativity, and at-home replication of typical out-of-home serves. As consumers look to tighten their belts, affordable indulgences such as coffee and tea drinks at home offer cost-effective ways to treat themselves.  

Here are some of the trends that are demonstrating this shift:  

TikTok Trend #1 – At-Home Coffee Station 

ASMR-esque videos of TikTok users creating their own ‘coffee stations’ have received millions of views on the app. In a bid to create an indulgent space, replicating the out-of-home experience, these videos show users organising their cups and coffee ingredients – pods, flavoured syrups, sugar, honey etc, in an aesthetically-pleasing way, ready for their next coffee break. 

Many users link the need for a coffee station with the shift at working from home post-pandemic, demonstrating the continued need for products that create a treat and indulgent moment at-home. It’s also highlighting the importance of coffee products that are visually appealing. 

TikTok Trend #2 – Tea Bombs 

Tea Bombs – a blend of tea and botanicals contained within a dissolvable sugar shell – have proved a huge hit on TikTok with users falling in love with the cutes-y aesthetic. And it’s easy to see why – tea bombs bring a sense of theatre to the process of drinking tea, with the glittering orb melting away to reveal the tea and botanicals within.  

This is perhaps one of the most challenging at-home serves we saw users of the platform create but does demonstrate the lengths to which consumers are going to create the sense of fun and indulgence at home, while seeking a creative outlet. 

TikTok Trend #3 – Replicating Foodservice Recipes 

TikTok users are not immune to the financial concerns facing consumers around the world, many of whom are looking for ways to reduce their spending, while maintaining affordable indulgences, to make themselves feel good. This cost consciousness is driving the trend for videos replicating foodservice recipes at-home, using store-bought ingredients, and showing a comparison of the cost equivalent per recipe.  

Rather than see this as stealing share, foodservice operators and beverage brand owners can facilitate consumers looking to shift consumption by developing branded products designed for the retail space. Starbucks even has a whole section of their UK website dedicated to ‘make it at home’ recipes for many consumer favourites. starbucksathome.com/gb/recipes  

TikTok Trend #4 – Tea Lattes 

For many years, coffee has been the focus of out-of-home innovation, with foodservice outlets offering an exciting range of seasonal coffee flavours, different serve-styles and milks driving consumer intrigue. However, tea is having a moment driven, in part, by the phenomenal growth of bubble tea premiumising and modernising the tea-drinking experience out-of-home. 

These innovative serves have inspired creators to develop a wide range of tea recipes on TikTok ranging from tea lattes to homemade boba tea, which we expect to drive greater innovation and engagement in tea consumption out-of-home too. 

TikTok Trend #5 – TikTok as a trend monitor 

Picking just a few product trends from TikTok wasn’t easy and there is a staggering range of content being developed by innovative creators. It’s a rich source of ideas, and if these videos are anything to go by, our industry is heading in so many exciting new directions. But TikTok isn’t just a place for NPD inspiration, it’s also a place where attitudes are forged. Creators, often with a huge and dedicated following, can shape the worldview of their followers, and bring significant issues to the fore.  

One such topic is sustainability. Views of environmental content on TikTok have increased six-fold over the past year, and the top 40 climate-related hashtags have received 85 billion views in the last year alone (TikTok, 2022). Content creators are driving awareness, sharing ways to live more sustainably, and encouraging their viewers to become more involved in environmental issues.  

For the beverages industry, this could manifest in several ways – including an expectation that companies look to reduce waste, source products sustainably, and live up to ethical values. Brands and suppliers would be well-advised not to underestimate the importance of this trend for young consumers, and the power of capturing their admiration for delivering ethical, sustainable products.  

Whichever direction these trends take you in, there’s no denying that TikTok is an increasingly important place to understand how Gen Z is thinking about beverages.  

If you’d like to find out more about the trends and dynamics that are shaping our industry, why not download our Global Beverage Trends Report 2023? 

• Siân Edwards is Finlays’ group insights manager, responsible for understanding the trends and dynamics that drive the global market for tea, coffee and botanical ingredients.

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It’s a new era for tea and coffee. As exciting new flavour innovations continue to pop up in the marketplace, these time-honoured beverages are enjoying a renaissance of interest from consumers seeking innovative new tastes and product features. The question that comes up immediately for producers: Which flavour innovations will be the ones to excite existing and new customers alike, and foster repeat purchases? These days, amid a bewildering array of new botanical flavours, functional ingredients, plant proteins, sugar challenges and sustainability concerns – all of which must factor into development efforts – the profusion of product combinations and permutations is enough to leave even seasoned product creators with more questions than answers.

Flavours and ingredients provider, Kerry, follows global traditional and emerging flavours and functional ingredients as they attract rising public interest. Its latest research, detailed in the company’s Taste and Nutrition Charts reveals key flavour trends for tea and coffee beverage product developers to keep in mind for 2023.

Florals are favourites

Lavender’s future, for one, seems assured. This floral favourite holds growing global appeal as a gentle flavour that supports mental physical and emotional wellness. Dataessential projects lavender inclusion to rise by 108 percent on US restaurant and bar menus in the next four years. Lavender has all sorts of possibilities, augured by its ability to combine well with other tastes; white chocolate is one of many exciting examples. White chocolate lavender latte, anyone?

Chamomile, traditionally used in tea, is perceived as warm, uncomplicated and comforting. Its appeal is also driven by the health benefits it’s believed to deliver.

Among the choices is another floral favourite, hibiscus, an engaging botanical flavour in beverages, and growing in sweet yogurt, and guava, a rising tropical flavour for beverages and sweet snacks, yogurt and frozen desserts. Guava’s exciting profile is also thought to include immunity support and digestion benefits.

New flavours combined with familiar favourites

There are all kinds of interesting emerging flavours able to mix and match with traditional favourites. Aside from the entrancing lavender and white chocolate pairing noted above, Kerry’s 2023 Flavour Insights highlight matcha tea as an emerging choice in hot beverages. Rose, turmeric, horchata, crème brulée and cardamom… the list goes on. Pumpkin spice is also well established, as are blueberry, mango and mocha.

Mixing flavours judiciously to create appealing new beverages drives consumer interest. However, the winners in the market are the brands that are combining novel flavours such as the above with fan favourite flavours already loved by consumers to create a beverage that is both familiar and nostalgic but also exciting and new.

Sugar reduction

Sugar has overtaken fat, salt and calories as the key health concern for consumers in Europe when eating out-of-home. Some 87 percent of consumers want to reduce their sugar consumption or are aiming to use sugar in moderation (per Consumer First, 2018). Since 2015, there has been a 44 percent increase in reduced-sugar drinks launches according to Mintel (2018).

Sugar reduction is a key flavour influencer that must be implemented carefully. Why? Well, sugar delivers more in taste than just sweetness: It also builds in all-important texture and mouthfeel. Any sugar-reduction strategy must include ingredients to counteract any perceived loss in taste.

Adding functional ingredients

Today’s beverage producers have the option of adding in valuable functional ingredients, addressing the ever growing demand for health, especially in the area ProActive Health functional ingredients, which are designed to address the most common health needs of consumers, across areas such as gut health, cognitive heath and immunity. Ingredients like ashwagandha are gaining prominence in markets around the world for their support of sleep and stress management, which are key components of cognitive wellbeing, and ingredients that work well in beverages.

Sustainability is an important consumer concern

Consumers gain from a ‘feel good’ factor when they purchase sustainable products, and it is a state of mind that shows no signs of abating. In fact, 89 percent of global consumers now expect companies to invest in sustainability; this is up from 65 percent in 2018, per Innova Market Insights (2019). Kerry’s Consumer First study revealed that 83 percent of consumers would consider the environment when making a purchase. This is not just for at-home purchases either with 71 percent of European consumers saying that sustainability is now important to them when choosing where to eat and drink out-of-home. Quite simply, consumers want to do something for the environment and to fight global warming, so a strong focus on sustainable ingredients can be a key differentiator for in today’s ultra-competitive environment.

However, ‘sustainability’ refers to much more than just environmental concerns. Consumers today want to know the provenance of the beverage ingredients they consume and know they were procured in a responsible manner. They want the growers to be compensated properly and farming communities to be sustainable over the long-term. Beverage producers need to not only ensure they know the origins and full sustainability of their ingredients, but also work on communicating this to end-consumers through your marketing and menu as our research shows that 81 percent of consumers believe foodservice outlets should do more to communicate what they are doing to protect people, the planet and society.

These sustainability and new flavour questions are hard to answer on your own. Human intelligence and experience can play a vital role, and product developers can apply it to their advantage by including ingredient suppliers in early-stage planning discussions. Harnessing their expertise and brainpower for use by the formulation team is the type of targeted help that can lead to market success in a crowded field. Fortunately, as consumers become more discerning, the efforts expended to draw their attention hold potential to be richly rewarded.

• John Kelly is strategy director for beverage at Kerry. Kerry is a world leader in taste and nutrition for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical market, innovating with customers to create great tasting products with improved nutrition and functionality, while ensuring better impact for the planet. Kerry’s consumer insights, global RD&A team of 1,100+ food scientists and extensive global footprint enables the company to solve customers’ complex challenges with differentiated solutions. As a valued partner of customers, Kerry is driven to creating a world of sustainable nutrition and will reach over two billion consumers with sustainable nutrition solutions by 2030. For more information, visit.www.kerry.com.

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1.       Consumer demand for natural and organic has accelerated

Consumers are drinking more natural and organic beverages, Finlays research shows, compared to two years ago. It seems that these mainstream trends continue to grow in appeal and have not reached saturation point, with one in ten 25–35-year-olds further increasing their already high consumption of natural and organic beverages.

“Consumers are seeking ‘clean label products’ such as those containing organic ingredients (18%), and free of artificial flavours or sweeteners (15%)”, Sian Edwards, group insights manager at Finlays, explains. “Beverage brand owners can tap into this trend by choosing ingredients that consumers perceive as naturally beneficial for their health, such as green tea, which contains naturally occurring antioxidants and catechins.”

2.     Boost for natural caffeine

This demand for natural beverages is driving major shifts in where consumers are looking for an energy boost. A third (33%) of Europeans are drinking more traditional sources of caffeine, such as tea and coffee, demonstrating the opportunity for these ingredients within the ‘clean energy’ movement. “It’s really interesting to see, from our research, that consumers are as likely to drink tea for an energy boost, as they are to drink energy drinks,” Edwards notes.

“Supply shortages of synthetic caffeine from China, the world’s largest exporter, has driven demand for natural sources of caffeine from tea and coffee,” explains Edwards. “The ‘health halo’ around coffee and the rising interest in its health properties are paving the way for beverage brands to innovate. For example, utilising cold brew coffee, a natural source of caffeine, and quality tea extracts, rich in naturally-derived antioxidants, to provide additional benefits.”

3.     ‘Hydration-Plus’ becomes major trend

Half of European consumers (48.4%) are drinking more water than they did pre-pandemic. But consumers are seeking more than just hydration, with one in five consumers (20.2%) looking for drinks with more than one benefit, increasing to nearly a quarter (24.1%) of consumers aged 35-55.

However, brand owners have to balance this with the need for good-tasting products – 16.8% of consumers are looking for healthy drinks without compromising on flavour. “Great taste is a major factor in encouraging that repeat-purchase”, Edwards explains.

4.     Functional beverages continue to gain momentum

Six in ten European consumers are more conscious of their physical health than pre-pandemic. “This is a major acceleration of the already well-established health and wellbeing trend,” Edwards explains, “and interestingly, this is even higher for older generations, demonstrating the broad appeal of products that tap into the health and wellbeing space.”

Consumers are looking for a wide range of functional benefits from their beverages, including energy-boosting (34%), relaxation (22%) and mood-boosting (22.6%). “This shows the huge scope for innovation in the beverage industry, relating to both physical and mental wellbeing,” Edwards adds. “Tea and coffee are well-established with consumers as natural ingredients that can be positioned as energising or relaxing.”

5.     Consumers willing to pay more for sustainability

Another major trend accelerated by the pandemic, over one in ten (13.3%) consumers have changed their drinking habits because they are more aware of the environmental impact of beverages, compared to before the pandemic. Consumers are looking for sustainably-sourced beverages with a minimal impact on the planet.

This trend is also a major value driver, as more than 75% of European consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products.

Edwards concludes, “the staying-power of mega trends such as health and sustainability has been tested over the last few years, but consumers have only been more engaged in these trends since the pandemic. We’ve also seen some major shifts, as consumers look for a wider range of functional benefits delivered by natural ingredients such as tea and coffee. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, offering natural, sustainable products that tap into health trends, without compromising on taste, is essential to attract modern consumers who want it all.

To find out how Finlays can support the potential of natural beverages visit finlays.net.

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Taste, unsurprisingly, remains the top driver when it comes to food and beverage choices, but Kerry reports that consumers will be motivated by simplicity, sustainability and meeting their nutrition goals. Yet there will be a rise in unconventional flavour pairings such as sweet profiles in savoury foods including blackcurrant and maple syrup, with a strong interest in provenance, functional ingredients and flavours that tell a story.

According to Kerry, there will be a resurgence in age old cooking practices and heirloom recipes as consumers place more importance on tradition and provenance. Ingredients such as nutritional yeast, ginseng, kombucha, ashwagandha and ancient grains are finding a new home across snack and beverage applications. Ginseng, kombucha, ashwagandha are already popular ingredients in tea, and in the last couple of years, turmeric has emerged as a leading ‘functional ingredient’ in both coffee and tea with a flurry of product rollouts in cafés and on store shelves.

Indulgence will take on a new meaning, with younger consumers in particular seeking mashups of familiar food and drinks that they grow up combined with emerging new flavour tonalities. This trend is augmented by the influence of social media channels such as TikTok and Instagram. This is evident in bubble tea concoctions that are so popular among Gen Z consumers. (See the cover story in T&CTJ’s March 2023 issue).

Kerry also finds that consumers will be actively seeking unconventional combinations of traditional ingredients and emerging taste profiles from other regions, such as Korean fried chicken, mojito beers, Japanese katsu, Greek tzatziki, etc. Consumers’ desire for healthier beverages with functional ingredients such as ashwagandha, hibiscus and matcha remains strong.

As inflation rises and the threat of a recession looms, Kerry notes that consumers will be value-minded but they will still gravitate towards products that allow permissible indulgence. At the NCA Convention earlier this month, speakers – one an economist, another a financial analyst – agreed that the occasional coffee shop/café-bought coffee (and tea) are considered ‘permissible indulgences.’

“Flavours have a powerful way to convey a story — particularly when it comes to consumer trends and preferences. This year we will witness the resurgence of time-honoured traditions and heirloom recipes as consumers crave traditional tastes with new and emerging flavours,” said Soumya Nair, global consumer research and insights director at Kerry. “Comfort still reigns supreme, with peppermints, hazelnuts, chocolates, cheeses, chilies still dominating tastebuds. Whether a nostalgic treat, a comfort dish or a healthy alternative, consumers expect a greater variety of tastes in 2023.” (Peppermint has long-been an extremely popular ingredient in tea and coffee-blended beverages, while hazelnut is also a long-time fan favourite in coffee drinks).

Nair said that through research and insights from its teams across the globe, “we are seeing how trends are travelling the world, with Asian flavours such as cardamom, Japanese miso, gooseberry and hawthorn, reaching Europe and North America, while popular dishes in Europe such as Moroccan tahini and Italian bolognaise are inspiring innovation in Asia Pacific. Consumers are travelling the world through taste and we expect that interest and desire in authenticity to continue.”

I believe I have seen tea with hawthorn in it while cardamom has recently emerged as a popular ingredient in both coffee and tea, particularly in winter menu offerings. Perhaps gooseberry could be the next ‘it’ ingredient for coffee or tea!

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Perhaps boba tea’s surge in popularity today can be attributed to reinvention along with a rise in international travel to and from the Asia-Pacific region, but the real ‘driver’ is Gen Z, which has embraced the beverage, and now demand for the concoctions continues to grow globally. 

In fact, there were several boba tea companies at this year’s World Tea Expo in Las Vegas, showcasing a variety of new boba tea beverages as well as a boba-making machine from Bobacino. 

So what exactly is boba/bubble tea? Boba tea is a chilled milk tea containing large tapioca pearls, called ‘boba’, that are sipped through a wide straw. However, boba teas are also available with a fruit-flavoured juice, slushy, or smoothie base. 

Part of the growing demand for these beverages is the customisation. The base is typically either green, jasmine, or black tea, and can be enhanced with fruit flavours like mango, lychee, or peach. The drinks can be sweetened, or consumers can reduce the amount of sugar as well as request sugar-free sweeteners like stevia or agave and dairy-free options such as almond or oat milk. 

The appeal of boba teas extends beyond taste as it offers a textural experience. Thus, instead of the regular tapioca pearls, consumers may ‘texturise’ their boba tea by opting for popping boba (tapioca pearls filled with fruit juice that ‘explode’ upon chewing), lychee jellies, or aloe chunks for textural appeal. Another interesting topping is a sweetened cheese foam, which is similar to foam on a latte. 

According to a Fortune Business Report, boba tea was worth USD $2.02 billion in 2019, and by 2027, its global market share is expected to reach $3.39 billion. Per Fortune Business Insights, some of the leading boba tea companies include: Chatime Group (Taiwan, China), Bubble Tea Supply Inc. (U.S.), Quickly (Taiwan, China), Kung Fu Tea (U.S.), Tiger Sugar Korea (South Korea), Boba Loca USA Inc., and Happy Lemon (United Kingdom). 

While Asia-Pacific remains the market leader in boba tea, its popularity continues to grow in North America, with an uptick in boba cafés, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. 

This summer, Peet’s Coffee is jumping into the boba drink market with a new line of plant-based coffee and tea customised beverages featuring brown sugar jelly. The sweet and chewy jelly can be added to any cold beverage at Peet’s as a permanent menu option. It is the Emeryville, California-based chain’s first entrance into boba-inspired beverages. 

“Gen Z has brought boba to the forefront of beverage innovation and now it’s just a part of their lives,” said Patrick Main, senior beverage innovator, Peet’s Coffee. He added that with Peet’s Coffee headquartered in the Bay Area, “we have easier and earlier access to Asian culinary culture, so boba/jelly has been around a while. The time to introduce something new, fun, bouncy, to the Peet’s nationwide menu is now, and people of all ages will enjoy brown sugar jelly. Most everyone knows what brown sugar tastes like, and they enjoy the warm, satisfying aspect of the sweetener.” 

Even ice cream chain Baskin-Robbins (Canton, Massachusetts) is jumping into the boba tea game. Baskin-Robbins’ new Tiger Milk Bubble Tea is an homage to the Taiwanese milk boba tea characterised by streaks of brown sugar syrup that resemble tiger stripes when paired against a kaleidoscope of cool black tea and milk. And because it is Baskin-Robbins, the Tiger Milk Bubble Tea is topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

So come this National Iced Tea Day – 10 June – (approximately 75 – 80% of tea consumed in America is iced according to the Tea Association of the USA) consumers certainly have many new tea-beverages with which they can celebrate, but what to choose, what to choose… 

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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The 2021 State of the Industry US Packaging Machinery reports that packaging machinery production total shipments in the United States increased 14.7% between 2015 and 2020, with a packaging order backlog increase of 22.3%. According to PMMI, the seven areas currently impacting the packaging machinery market range from technology to sustainability to e-commerce, and include:

Automation and Robotics

To achieve higher efficiency and productivity, more packaging machinery companies are embracing automation in their packaging lines and leveraging smart manufacturing – such as machine vision – to do so. The robotics sector is also a rapidly growing one within the packaging machinery market, with the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G, and expanding IoT environment. In this age of Covid, ‘cobots’, or collaborative robots are designed to be safer for humans to work in close proximity. (The cover story in our upcoming November 2021 issue discusses the expansion of automation and robotics within the packaging machinery market.)

IIOT and Wireless Connectivity

The Industrial internet of things (IIoT) continues to impact the product lifecycle in the packaging industry including design, operation, maintenance, and supply chain. Per the report, the progress of conventional wireless network in smart manufacturing had lagged due to its inability to maintain stable connections and latencies, but innovations that perform better than other wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are emerging.

Cybersecurity

Ransomware attacks on major F&B and retail companies such as Cadbury and Target, and JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, highlight the vulnerability of the critical infrastructure of manufacturers across the industrial supply chain to increasing levels of cyber-attacks. (The ransomware story in our October 2021 issue – Ransomware is Rampant: Is Your F&B Business Safe? – offers details measures companies can take to protect themselves against cyber-attacks.)

Sustainability and Flexible Packaging

Many food brands have invested in packaging innovations and have implemented sustainability initiatives in their production and packaging lines due to consumer demand. However, the PMMI report points out that machine modifications or adjustments are often needed to achieve sustainable packaging goals. The challenges CPGs face when moving to more sustainable packaging provide opportunities for OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to explore applications with customers:

• Secondary packaging machines such as conveyors must be able to handle material reduction strategies, including lightweight corrugated.
• Machines need to run different style boxes to accommodate sustainability strategies, such as using the right size box. Case packers with a smaller footprint can help achieve sustainability goals through reduction in energy usage.
• A more efficient process of unpacking the contents of a pallet and repacking them into different sizes or variety packs is needed, with a focus on reducing material usage.

Furthermore, the flexible packaging industry is innovating to meet sustainable and recyclable packaging demands by creating compostable or sustainable components such as films and pouch closures.

Sustainability is a key area of coverage within T&CTJ, including sustainable packaging. Sustainable packaging and technology articles this year alone can be found in the February issue, Sustainable Packaging Remains a Top Priority for Consumers and Brands Alike; the April issue, Digitalisation: The Missing Piece in the Sustainability Puzzle; and in the June issue, How Sustainability Trends are Impacting Single Serve [Packaging].

Material Innovations

Many food and beverage brands – especially coffee and tea brands – are increasingly using recyclable board-based packaging, compostable packaging, and 100% recycled paper packaging. Some companies have even pledged long-term research commitment in packaging material innovation. (The article in our September 2021 issue – Compostable Packaging for Coffee & Tea: How Viable is It? – discusses the pros and cons of compostable packaging.)

Waste Reduction Legislation

In June 2020, US representatives introduced the Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Act. If passed, the act will guide the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a plastic waste reduction and recycling program to improve the global competitiveness of the US recycling industry. The act further aims to reduce plastic waste and encourage research into and technologies for recycling infrastructure.

E-Commerce

And, of course, e-commerce has become an increasingly important factor in the industry (across many industries!). For example, sales of coffee and tea products purchased online surged during the pandemic and remain strong. Package design must maximize packing space, and there is a trend for e-commerce packaging to use more pouches and easily packable trays, and less glass.

The report notes that the shift in purchasing habits will continue to drive demand for packaging machinery as e-commerce requires increased touchpoints to reach the customer, increased packaging, and supply chain challenges.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

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Consumption held relatively steady (around 33 million liters) due to retail purchases, per Euromonitor. However, aside from the decrease in foodservice sales, ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee sales dropped slightly because of their tendency to be high impulse sales, which were hindered due to lockdowns during the pandemic. Currently, only bottled water outperforms RTD coffee.

According to Barry, coffee has strong retail prospects in 2021, particularly in RTD. He added that standard ground coffee sales had been declining but as more people started brewing at home, it became a growth category in 2020. Instant remains the only declining coffee category in the US market despite a slight spike in 2020 due to the Dalgona coffee fad (not a trend as it disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared).

Sales at chain coffee and tea shops fell 3.6% between 2019 and 2020 (many had the advantages of contactless, mobile ordering, even drive-thrus during lockdowns) while independent coffee and tea shops faired much worse with sales dropping 15% (most of which didn’t have the aforementioned benefits). “We don’t expect to see growth in independent coffee and tea shops until 2022,” said Barry.

He identified four key trends that will occur during the “new normal”:

Trend #1 — Slowing Down
Working remotely
Investment in the home (appliances, pets, etc.)
Lingering limitations on travel

Trend #2 — K-Shaped Economic Recovery
Some sectors exceed 2019 levels by early 2021; others may take years
Growing inequality, pressure on the middle price tier

Trend #3 — Digital Reliance
Massive acceleration of e-commerce adoption
Physical/digital lines get blurrier

Trend #4 — The Unwell Well
Interest in immune products falling
Mental wellbeing becomes a higher priority
A caffeine ceiling.

Regarding the “slowing down” trend, Barry pointed out that social distancing will last through at least most of 2021. More people are expected to continue working from home in the future – maybe not full time, but at least part of the time – which will affect on-premise coffee consumption. People will continue to spend more time at home because they invested in their homes during the lockdowns with home renovations, exercise equipment (like Peloton), pets, coffee machines (many consumers upgraded), etc.

In terms of the “k-shaped economic recovery,” Euromonitor expects the American economy will near recovery by Q4 2021. “The US is outperforming most of its comparable economies except Sweden,” said Barry, adding, “keep in mind that the recovery is not recovery for all people, it’s a fragmented recovery — a lot of people are still out of work or under-employed and will continue to be in 2021.

Amid this, there will be continued premiumization for consumers who were generally unaffected by the pandemic, although the foodservice channel will continue to be impacted. Barry explained that there will be economization for consumers who were affected by pandemic such as purchasing lower-priced or private-label brands, bulk sizes, etc. “There will be continued pressure on the middle tier, which will struggle in a polarized market.”

As the economy and markets recover, Barry said the foodservice/coffee shop sector recovery will splinter in two directions:

1-Efficiency oriented — fast, digital, personalized, contactless
2-Human oriented — slow, educational, sense of community

The reliance on digital (Trend #3) will continue as, once adopted it tends to stick around, said Barry, noting in particular, e-commerce adoption. “There is a huge and permanent shift to e-commerce.” [E-commerce sales of coffee, and tea, surged during lockdowns.]

Regarding the final trend, “the unwell well,” mental well-being appears to be replacing immunity as the key functionality of the future. “Americans are generally very stressed people, women and younger generations even more so,” shared Barry, noting that decaf sales are not doing as well in this environment as one would think. ‘Coffee mitigation,’ (functionality) not decaf will be key — there are lot of adaptogens out there that can be used in coffee. Products that add, rather than subtract, in order to create a less anxiety inducing coffee will be particularly popular, such as: cannabis, L theanine, cordyceps, rhodiola and Holy Basil (Tulsi). “This [mental well-being] is an exciting category as we move forward,” he said.

Summing up, the outlook for coffee in the US in 2021 is favourable for a variety of reasons, notably:

• Retail prospects will stay strong
• RTD coffee remains a growth category — expect cold brew to outgrow overall category
• Mental well-being is emerging as the hot functionality
• Habits that consumers picked up during pandemic will not go away (e.g., online shopping, brewing at home) — which is good for some sectors (coffee machine sales, retail coffee) and bad for others (foodservice/coffee shop channels, OCS, etc.)

Given these trends and outlooks, it will be quite intriguing to see how 2021 actually unfolds.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

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Here is a preview of Flavorchem’s predictions for the coming year:

• Breakfast Reimagined: The breakfast category will experience innovative revamps on familiar favourites, according to Flavorchem, with more consumers working and learning from home.
• Plant Protein Power: The ever-evolving market for plant-based protein has a forecasted compound annual growth rate of 9% from 2019-2023 with a series of new product lineups on the way.
• Taste Exploration: Products that offer a heightened sensory experience via adventurous taste combinations and flavour exploration will draw consumers experiencing cuisine fatigue while stuck at home, according to the company.
• Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle: Flavorchem believes that upcycled ingredients will be one of the most popular claims in 2021 amidst heightened consumer demand for ethical, transparent and sustainable products.

Flavorchem’s full report details how industry trends and consumer insights will influence flavours in food and beverage products in 2021. “Our in-house Marketing Analysts work closely with our Flavorists to help food and beverage brands create flavors and new product concepts that represent the latest in trends and innovation. Our team has conducted extensive market research to ensure our clients have the latest industry intel,” says Laura Dembitzer, director of Marketing and Communications.

To request the full 2021 Trend & Flavor Forecast or to create a custom flavour, email: contact@flavorchem.com.

The post Flavorchem releases 2021 Trends & Flavor Forecast appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

Describing the Proudly Local, Going Global trend, Gina Westbrook, director of consumer trends and Alison Angus, head of lifestyles research at Euromonitor International, in the February webinar stated, “Pride and power in local culture will become more sharply defined and relevant in 2020. The Proudly Local, Going Global trend captures consumer desire to adopt and appeal to a sense of individuality and growing national identity from local inspiration. There is also a growing expectation for multinationals to respond appropriately and creatively to local culture, social norms and consumer habits.”

According to Euromonitor, there are deeper ethical value shifts beyond self-expression and consumption driving this desire for localisation. Consumers (particularly younger ones) are prioritising environmental responsibility while helping local businesses thrive and reconnect with communities. The Proudly Local, Going Global trend is driving the rise of local consumer brands, especially in developing markets, going head to head with multinationals. For niche brands, regional and even global success has followed.

Multinational companies are keen on localising their production or acquiring already established local players. (This has been happening aggressively within the coffee industry. It is also occurring within the tea industry but not to the extent it has in coffee.) Per Euromonitor, localisation strategies also help multinationals better adjust to consumer needs that arise due to cultural differences or lower purchasing power.

“Being accessible, local and clean is becoming more important to survival,” said Westbrook and Angus in the original webinar.

As they noted, niche brands start their global route to success by accentuating their local credentials, keeping this at the forefront of consumers’ minds. “At the same time, multinationals are becoming more sophisticated in shaping their products to local tastes and preferences without losing their core brand identity. Tuning into the Proudly Local, Going Global trend is a compelling business strategy to win and retain consumer loyalty.”

Revising the trends outlook to reflect the impact of Covid-19, Angus said in an April webinar, that now/short term, amid the pandemic, there is an enforced retreat from globalisation, with consumers supporting local communities.

Personally, I have noticed a change in advertising from many national and multinational brands – from F&B to health and beauty care to technology to retail to automotive to insurance – during the Covid-19 crisis (on television and online) to show more compassion, concern and empathy for consumers and local communities.

In the near term, Angus noted that consumers’ safety concerns will drive hyper-localisation, while long term there will be a focus on localising business activities.

The Reuse Revolutionaries trend might be the most impacted by Covid-19. According to Euromonitor International, today’s sustainability leaders are tapping into new circular business models that aim to offer more with less through sharing, reusing, refilling and renting. “Increased environmental awareness is driving the Reuse Revolutionaries trend, especially for younger generations who are prioritising experiences over ownership. This is creating sustainable business opportunities,” said Westbrook and Angus in the February webinar. “Recycling labels are losing credibility due to a lack of knowledge about a product’s recyclability. New business models that avoid waste generation are appealing to more ethical consumers who are embracing sustainability through longer-lasting products.”

They explained that they days of businesses taking unlimited materials from nature and giving little back are coming to an end. Over 89 billion tonnes of materials were extracted from the global economy in 2018, per Euromonitor. However, only 9% of materials were being recirculated, meaning 91% were wasted, according to the 2019 Circularity Gap Report.

Recycling is no longer enough. Euromonitor revealed that Reuse Revolutionaries are now looking into ways to decrease their footprint with disruptive business models becoming mainstream. The “reuse economy,” where materials and products are reused several times, is booming. The reuse economy is critical to achieve sustainable development. This approach saves materials, prevents valuable products from going to landfills, reduces price volatility of raw materials, decreases supply chain risks and boosts resource efficiency.

According to Euromonitor’s Lifestyles Survey 2019, 60% of consumers are worried about climate change and 54% think they can make a positive contribution in the world with their purchases. As environmental awareness increases, consumers look for alternative eco-friendly products. However, more sustainable products often come with a premium price, and not all consumers are willing to pay more.

“Companies tapping into the Reuse Revolutionaries trend will need to find the balance between sustainability and convenience as consumers still rank efficacy, value and aesthetics as desired characteristics,” said Westbrook and Angus. “To do so, companies need to incentivise consumers to switch to reusable or refillable options that are both convenient and affordable. As more companies integrate reusable packaging into their product lines, this option will become less of a competitive advantage and more of a must-have.”

Coffee and tea companies have been among the leaders in offering sustainable products and packaging, while coffee shops, both independent and chain (national and multinational), have been also been actively offering reusable and recyclable cups, lids and straws. However, it is this area that will likely be most negatively affected by Covid-19 in the short and long term. For example, once the pandemic started, most coffeehouses suspended their use of reusable cups in favour of disposable ones (although many still gave consumers the discount if they brought a reusable cup with them).

In the April webinar, Angus said that now/during the crisis, consumers are rethinking green credentials — they are being more “clean than green.” In the near term, she explained that anxiety will shift consumer focus to health and safety and worrying about reinfection (hence, consumers may still favour disposable products over reusable ones). And although it may take a while, Angus said that there will be a slow return to reusable products in the long term.

But is “long term” at the end of 2020, 2021 or beyond? It is too early to tell, so as with everything else that has been impacted by Covid-19, we will have to wait and see how it all unfolds.

• Vanessa L. Facenda, editor Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. She may be contacted via vanessa@bellpublishing.com.

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Another new trend is making Dalgona coffee or whipped coffee. Actually, the trend is not only making the coffee concoction at home, which calls for only four ingredients, but then posting “your creation” via video or picture on Instagram or TikTok because of its aesthetically pleasing appearance. Hence, its “’Gram-worthy look” and easy recipe led the coffee beverage to go viral. I had never heard of Dalgona coffee until it started popping up on several of my news feeds (even People Magazine and the TodayShow.com have reported on it and explained how to make it).

According to Elite Daily, TikTok creator @iamhannahcho appeared to kick off the trend in March by sharing a recipe for whipped coffee.

Apparently, the coffee originated in South Korea and is called Dalgona coffee because of its similarity to a popular candy there, toffee dalgona (I have no idea if “Dalgona” should be capitalized or lowercase because I’ve seen it both ways). As previously mentioned, the coffee requires only four ingredients: instant coffee, sugar, water and milk (any kind will suffice: whole, skim, oat, almond, etc.). First combine equal parts of instant coffee, sugar and boiling water, then whip with a hand blender or whisk until frothy — the consistency of whipped cream or meringue. Then simply spoon atop a glass or mug of milk — hot or cold. You may drink as is or blend it.

Given the craze, the simplicity and since I had all the ingredients (I’m not an instant coffee drinker but I keep a couple of sticks/pouches on hand for baking purposes), I decided to try it. For a single serving, I mixed two tablespoons of instant coffee with less than two tablespoons of sugar (I do not typically use any sweetener in my coffee) and two tablespoons of boiling water and then whisked the mixture by hand for about three or four minutes until soft (yet slightly stiff) peaks formed. I placed the whipped topping atop cold skim milk and then blended gently with a reusable straw.

I recommend blending the topping into the milk, otherwise it will be just a glass of milk followed by the topping, which I found to be not as desirable on its own. As someone who does not drink instant coffee, I was taken aback by how strong and bitter the coffee was, even blended – and the instant coffee taste lingered for quite a long time. In retrospect, I should have used more sugar to cut the bitterness. Additionally, a higher quality instant coffee would likely improve the taste.

While it’s not “my cuppa joe,” I understand the appeal of Dalgona coffee. It’s easy, fun to make and visually appealing. And after stay-at-home directives are lifted and people are entertaining again, homemade Dalgona coffee would be something unique to offer guests (who are not coffee aficionados).

Since first learning about Dalgona coffee, I have come across other articles (but not with the popularity or visual appeal of Dalgona coffee), with suggestions of other drinks to make with instant coffee once “you’ve mastered Dalgona coffee.” Will these new at-home coffee trends boost sales of instant coffee?

Coffee has not been one of the hard-to-find items during the Covid-19 pandemic. And here in the US, instant coffee is not a popular format. However, according to its new report, The Impact of Coronavirus on Hot Drinks, Euromonitor International reveals that the availability of instant coffee might be affected during this period (globally). “Fresh coffee is generally not seeing high rates of panic buying given its natural expiration. Instant coffee, as it is more shelf stable, has been more affected and will probably see bigger declines in sales later, given how well stocked many consumers are now,” noted Matthew Barry, senior beverages analyst, in the report.

However, depending on how long people are quarantined and the visual and potential viral appeal of coffee drinks, it will be interesting to see what may happen in the instant coffee sector.

The post Is Dalgona coffee just a quarantine craze? appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

The product was created as many Australian sports lovers are often required to stay up late or wake up early in the morning to watch the cricket series when televised from the UK, and VB Tea gives them a viable alternative to beer.

VB Tea is non-alcoholic and made with a blend of black ceylon tea with Victoria Bitter’s signature Super Pride hops.

Katrina Diamonon, consumer analyst at GlobalData, said: “The campaign presents some promising routes to innovation for the tea category in general. The hot drinks category is not renowned for exceptionally exciting or dynamic innovation. However, there is evidence that consumers still seek novelty when shopping for these products.

According to GlobalData’s 2018 Q4 survey, almost one-fifth (19%) of global consumers ‘often’ experiments with new or different varieties of hot drinks while an additional 25% of consumers ‘sometimes’ try new varieties when they want to try something new. Tea products that are inspired by alcoholic drinks have the ability to inject excitement and indulgence into hot drink consumption.

Notably, the reverse also applies with regards to opportunities in alcoholic drink innovation. As alcohol-free alternatives to beer, wine and spirits increasingly appeal to health-conscious consumers, there is a growing demand for options beyond the standard fizzy drinks and juice.

Indeed, GlobalData’s 2018 Q3 survey found that 45% of global consumers are interested in ‘sophisticated’ or ‘adult-style’ soft drinks as alternatives to alcoholic drinks.

Diamonon concluded: “Products that leverage the authenticity and often complexity of tea can elevate a non-alcoholic drink to something more refined.”

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However, while most of the world drinks hot tea, 75 – 80% of Americans opt for iced tea over hot. Celebrating this fact, June has been deemed National Iced Tea Month.

“As the popularity of tea surges, we’ve learned that tea is much more than just a healthy, refreshing beverage. Millennials truly have an emotional connection with tea,” said Peter Goggi, president of the Tea Council of the USA and the Tea Association of the USA.

To access America’s growing fascination with the ancient brew, the Tea Council of the USA commissioned a survey, which discovered – quite surprisingly, and I’m skeptical – that 24 million Americans think that drinking a cup of their favourite brew is as good as sex. The survey found that more men than women (13% vs. 8%) and more millennials than older generations (16% vs. 7%) feel this way.

The online survey, conducted by Kelton Global, also showed that nearly one-quarter (22%) of Americans could not survive Monday morning without tea as their daily fuel. Fewer say this about pressing the snooze button on their alarm (17%), reading their favourite blog (14%) or using their Outlook calendar (12%).

Tea’s popularity is partly attributed to its perceived health benefits, of which there are many. Researchers are continually finding new health benefits from tea consumption, whether it’s black, green, white, oolong or dark teas – any tea from the Camellia sinensis plant, (not tisanes or herbal teas). Recent research has revealed that:

• Drinking green tea polyphenols has been linked to increased skin protection from UV rays and improved elasticity. In a 12-week trial, where women were randomized to drinking extracted green tea polyphenols, they saw improvements in skin elasticity, roughness and scaling thought to be a result of increased blood flow and oxygen delivery to the skin.
• Early research in animal models suggests that both black tea and green tea polyphenols may impact the gut microbiome to promote weight loss. Research on mice also suggests that when given a green or black tea polyphenol supplement, after being fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet, weight loss was triggered due to changes in the gut microbiome. Researchers concluded that tea polyphenols had an impact on the gut microbiome to increase weight loss.
• Research using data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis demonstrated that tea drinkers have slowed progression of calcification and fewer cardiovascular events. Specifically, black tea consumption has been linked to decreased risk for a heart attack and improved cardiovascular health.

Given the heat and humidity that seem to be following me no matter what state or country I’m in, a glass of fruit-infused iced tea sounds perfect right now.

The post Make it a tea, but ice it… appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

There are fourteen species belonging to the moringa family (genus), however two amongst them are commercially cultivated and harvested: the Moringa oleifera originating from India and the Moringa stenopetala, or African Moringa, that originates from Ethiopia and Kenya. This multi-purpose and exceptionally nutritious vegetable tree has also been introduced to other countries in Africa, like Rwanda and Burkina Faso, as well as in Haiti, in South America and can even be found in certain subtropical areas in Europe and the United States.

Having been used as traditional herbal medicine for a long list of conditions in Asia and Africa, modern medical research and agri-science has been thoroughly investigating the moringa tree over the past 15 years or so. Studies were conducted to compare the benefits of the two main cultivated varieties. These studies seem to assess that the African Moringa is hardier and more drought resistant and can grow in higher altitudes. Also called the cabbage tree, it is considered an important supplier of fresh vegetables with its lush green leaves that are highly nutritious, and with the fruit that grow as pods.

Furthermore, the African Moringa can grow very tall and is often used as a wind barrier and anti-soil erosion plant. However, it takes longer to germinate and to mature and has a lower leaf yield than Moringa oleifera. The many benefits of planting more trees is promoted by the local governmental agencies, particularly in Ethiopia, first to improve the food supply of populations that live in drought-affected areas, but also with commercial projects for the future.

The main health benefits and the levels of the beneficial ingredients are similar for both main species. Another important property of the moringa tree is its seeds, which can clean turbid water once they are crushed by making the impurities agglomerate. They also have a cleansing and anti-bacterial activity, highly important for preserving drinking water in rural areas of less developed countries.

The roots of the African Moringa can be pickled like horseradish, and the soft bark of the Moringa oleifera can be made into a spicy dish. These trees have beautiful, fragrant flowers that can be brewed into herbal infusions, but usually it is preferable to let the fruit mature. The partially matured pods can be collected and cooked as a vegetable, or once they are fully matured, the seeds can be harvested and eaten as a snack, or collected for oil extraction or used for water cleaning purposes. Moringa leaves are also wholesome cattle feed.

It’s no wonder that locals call the moringa the “miracle tree” for its many, many benefits year-round, providing food for the villagers and their animals, protecting the environment and their well-being. According to studies, it appears that this wealth of benefits has not yet been widely shared and needs more communication in order to make the rural populations fully aware and motivate them to increase the planting, for their own benefit as a first step.

Moringa’s Popularity Rises in the West

Belonging to ancient ayurvedic medicinal traditions in India, the Moringa oleifera, which originates from the lower slopes of the Himalayas, has the reputation as a cure for 300 diseases, and the African Moringa is called the “miracle tree.”

Scientific investigations have confirmed the exceptionally high levels of vitamins, minerals and oligo elements, as well as of polyphenols and amino acids, which are present in the leaf and in other parts of the plant. The oil extracted from the mature seeds can be used for cooking and for cosmetic purpose.

Recent scientific literature outlines the health-benefitting molecules in the leaves, which explains the long list of ailments and conditions the various parts of the tree can improve or cure.

It appears that consuming dried moringa tree leaves, ground into powder, is one of the most convenient ways to benefit from its many balance restoring, metabolism protecting, free radical scavenging and overall healing effects, which are generated by the complex combination of the plant’s substances and their exceptional bio availability. According to science, moringa leaves bring benefits to all generations: rich nutrients for infants and young, increased energy and stamina for adults, protective brain effects for seniors.

In addition to these enhancing benefits of wholesome nutrition, boosted energy, balanced mood and improved stamina, moringa leaves reportedly also have the properties to cure serious health disorders, such as lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, balancing blood sugar levels, and supplying anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, moringa leaves are also believed to help protect the liver and the brain through the high contents of certain vitamins, minerals and oligo elements, the presence of 18 out of the 20 known amino acids, as well as a high level of powerful polyphenols.

Usually these dried leaves are ground into a highly hygroscopic powder, which is popularly reported to contain more vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk and more protein than yogurt, more vitamin C than oranges, more iron than spinach and more potassium than bananas.

The taste is not precisely delicious, close to dried spinach or similar greenery. Also, the grind is extremely dry, which makes some people choke so it is advised to dilute in hot water or in yogurt or mix with fruit as a smoothie. Moringa leaf powder is also marketed in capsules and as ingredient in health beverages. There are no official recommendations, but the suppliers of moringa leaf powder suggest a daily intake of one coffee spoon in order to reap all the benefits.

Production, Trade and Future Outlook

Currently, India is by far the biggest commercial producer of moringa leaf, with a volume estimated at around 46,000 metric tonnes of leaf in 2017, of which 80 percent is exported. Considered primarily as a crop for poverty relief, manageable by smallholder farms, moringa tree cultivation also favours climate mitigation and produces carbon credits, similar to tea and mate.

The growing popularity of moringa in the West is expected to generate increased commercial planting for export revenue. Although agri-science and experimental knowledge seem to assess that the moringa plant is rarely affected by plant pests, hence no major need to use chemicals and phyto-sanitary products, the trends in the Western markets suggest a strong preference for growing these trees within organic agriculture.

“Over the past 15 years, intensive research has been carried out on moringa trees. The new findings have revealed and confirmed that all the various moringa tree materials can make a significant contribution to an improved health status in the Western world and to an improved nutrition status in less developed producing countries” declared professor Klaus Becker, PhD, of the University of Hohenheim in Germany in August 2009.

Ten years later this statement remains fully valid and topical. More and more Western consumers have become aware and convinced by the benefits of moringa products and more moringa growing is being launched every year. Some of the new plantations are designed as development projects for small village communities in Burkina Faso, Rwanda and Haiti, which may attract additional consumer interest and may help to foster more experiments to expand moringa tree growing into new and diverse areas.

Barbara Dufrêne is the former Secretary General of the European Tea Committee and editor of La Nouvelle du Thé. She may be reached at: b-dufrêne@orange.fr.

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The evolving demand trends in the coffee machine market can be attributed to a wider knowledge of coffee varieties and a growing palate for specialty beverages among consumers, innovations in coffee machines, and the rise in F&B/coffee shops.

The study showed that drip coffee machines will account for 43% of the total coffee machine sales in 2019. Good price, easy operation, simple design, and quality brewing are the key factors responsible for the significant demand for drip coffee machines. The quantity of quality coffee produced through drip machines also makes them especially popular in cafés and office settings.

Sales of capsule-based coffee machines are expected to increase over 5% in 2019 against the backdrop of increasing preference for specialty coffee varieties among consumers.

Semi-automatic coffee machines will continue to find favor due to the advantages of human control, affordable price and many other multimodal factors. The study estimates that semi-automatic coffee machine sales will surpass 27 million units in 2019. Meanwhile, sales of automatic coffee machines are rising rapidly as consumer preference for convenience, speed, quality and brand image continues to evolve.

The study found that cafés buy the most coffee machines, with 3 in 10 sales going to cafés in 2018. Restaurants report the second largest sales of coffee machines.

The study estimates that online sales channels are preferred over retail or direct sales channel for the distribution of coffee machines. In 2019, the number of coffee machine units sold through online sales channel will be over 4 units in 10, while 3 in 10 will be bought via retail.

The study found that North America will continue to register significant demand for coffee machines and will account for over two-fifths of global sales in 2019.

Europe registered the second largest demand for coffee machines in 2018 and the trend is likely to continue in 2019 with a one fifth volume share in the global market.

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Despite this, the value of tea within the UK foodservice market is increasing, with an impressive growth of 13.6% between 2015 to 2017, demonstrating a strong indication of the increase we shall see by the end of 2019.

Brits are also choosing to spend more money on more ‘luxurious’ items, including tea, and the awareness of tea brands outside the supermarket shelves are on the rise.

Online consumer marketplace OnBuy.com pulled highlights from ‘The Tea Report’ by tea brand, Tetley, to reveal the four major trends that will be shaping all things tea in 2019.

1. Tea with a purpose:
With the health and wellness trend going from strength to strength, consumers are overwhelmed with concerns about ingredients and supplements that can provide nutritional benefits. Demand for functional food and drinks with enhanced health benefits is predicted to have a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% by 2022.

With 1 in 2 Brits already taking vitamins daily to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it comes as no surprise that a new generation of tea-drinkers are actively seeking out functional beverages, from turmeric to added protein. In order to meet their fast-paced lifestyle, beverages must be easy, appealing and ready to grab on-the-go.

2. Innovative flavours:

Tea drinkers are seeking out natural, earthy alternative flavours such as ginger, matcha, turmeric and cumin.

3. New sensations:

Tea has evolved over the past few years and is no longer simply just a hot beverage with the introduction of  cold brew and matcha teas.

New texture and sensory experiences are being explored with the global kombucha market expected to experience a significant growth by 2021.

Much like artisanal coffee, this trend puts quality into the limelight, with consumers willing to pay a premium for the very best.

4. Tea reimagined:

In today’s indulgent digital age, it comes as no surprise that consumers are led by social media – capturing everything they do, see, taste and experience, and following the rends set by ‘influencers’.

The experience economy has been extremely influential across all sectors, resulting in customers looking for new ways to experience the things they enjoy.

The premiumisation of tea is expected to reinvent the great British high-tea ritual, resulting in a profitable commodity for brands and cafés. The concept of ‘quintessentially British tea’ will become an art, leading to a theatrical experience that leaves consumers wanting more.

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