DRINKS // Tea
Spill the tea
There’s no denying coffee has dominated the cafe scene in Australia, but are the tides turning towards tea? WORDS Madeline Woolway
THE EVERGREEN TEA plant Camellia
is like”. The trend has proven to be one
cafés may historically have been the
was the British who introduced Australia
Lab’s extensive menu, which also includes
low-grade leaves, but Johnston has seen a
sinensis is native to East Asia, however it to tea after the UK began producing the
product in India during the 19th century.
of the most popular items on Botanical traditional teas, iced tea and tisanes.
Although tea was once a highly prized and
For Gunjan Aylawadi, who owns the
commoditised. Now, we are largely black
CBD, it’s not just wellness driving customers
expensive luxury good, it has since become tea with milk drinkers, who pay limited
attention to the nuances found in different preparations of the shrub’s cured leaves.
Health and wellness trends are behind an
recently opened Flyover Fritterie in Sydney’s
rapidly,” says Johnston. “Kombucha is
one of the fastest-growing categories in
Tea does have caffeine, but even the
the amount doled out by a cup of joe. “You
their go-to tea or coffee is, just to see what
their palate is like,” she says. “We also offer
tea blending workshops, which are all about giving more information to consumers.”
drink so many cups of chai — it’s not even
it’s made of and the method it’s made by.
up for counting.”
The attribute is helping tea play catch-
to-drink or bottled teas.
as coffee, but it’s definitely gaining a
Others in the industry have also noted
teas, Le starts with the same approach a
It’s not just about quantity, though — any
They’re words Aylawadi lives by: “We
up with Australia’s otherwise coffee-crazed
the effect of consumers’ current obsession
When it comes to helping consumers
can’t, but we can drink tea,” says Johnston.
the world.” Increasing by 4 per cent, the
beverage is moving quickly, as are ready-
sommelier training starting to happen now.”
sommelier would take. “I ask them what
lighter on caffeine.
can’t drink coffee all day, or most people
blends and wellness blends are growing
development of late and we’ve got tea
looking for an afternoon pick-me-up that’s
but black tea remains flat, according to Masters, Sharyn Johnston. “Functional
menus. “I’ve done quite a lot of tea menu
navigate their vast menu of designer
the Indian brew are appealing to drinkers
stronger varieties clock in at well under
founder and director of Australian Tea
change, with many venues introducing tea
to her chai house. Aylawadi’s various riffs on
approximate 3 per cent increase in sales of
green tea, blended teas and herbal tisanes,
domain of opaque tea bags packed with
culture. “It’s nowhere near as popular following,” says Le.
variety of tea is only as good as the leaves When it comes to sourcing and storing
tea, following a few simple rules is all it
takes to maintain a high standard. A good supplier should offer tasting notes, be
transparent about origin and help select the right range to suit different venues,
explains Johnston. Brewing instructions
with health and wellness. “It’s weird
Based on the observations of Aylawadi,
Le, general manager of Botanical Lab, a
for both beverages in the market — the
with a Sydney-based supplier who uses
gap between the two.
leaves as a base for Flyover Fritterie’s custom
to see trends come and go,” says Linda
tea-house-cum-florist in Brisbane’s Fish
Lane. Since opening in November 2018,
Le has noticed bubble tea sales surge, too, suggesting they’ve “re-invented what tea 16 | Hospitality
Johnston and Le, there’s clearly room
question is whether venues can bridge the “If you can understand coffee, you can
understand tea,” says Johnston. Australian
are also worth their weight in gold.
To source her chai, Aylawadi works closely
premium-quality single-estate assam tea chai blends. When it comes to the brew,
it’s all about balance. “The black tea has to
