Can you get good tea at a coffee bar?

According to the ITC (the most authoritative source and a true international reference point for market statistics regarding tea), approximately 100 million cups of tea are consumed in Great Britain each day, equal to almost 36 billion cups per year. 

According to other sources, tea is the most highly consumed beverage in the world after water. And not only in those countries where tea is produced, but also overseas. For example (obviously always with percentages lower than those of water and coffee consumption), the tea market in Canada generated a total sales volume of almost $1.33 billion in 2021 and constant growth is expected not only in 2022, which just came to a close, but also in the coming years.

But why is tea still struggling to catch on in Italy?  Why do professionals in the HoReCa industry still not perceive it as a business opportunity and, likewise, why don’t clients who go to bars, pastry shops, and restaurants consider ordering tea? 

This whole vicious cycle results in, unfortunately, an incredibly long list of missed opportunities.

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND GOOD TEA AT A COFFEE BAR OR HOTEL?

Every time I broach the topic with those who manage these kinds of businesses, it all boils down to just a few critical points:

1. Tea doesn’t sell here because Italy lacks a tea culture;
2. “You live in Milan, for you it’s different… Milan is Milan! Out here we can’t afford to have a quality selection.” Often, however, those who suffer from this unfounded “inferiority” complex, actually work in structures that receive a lot of international tourists, in locations that are just as attractive as Milan, which, yes, is a big city, but whose fast pace isn’t particularly compatible with the “ceremony” of a relaxing cup of tea. 

So we don’t accept these excuses. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work creating a tea culture even here, in the capital of espresso.

Taking a look at the very encouraging data from the tea market in other European and American countries, we can get started right at the coffee bar, an emblem of Italian-ness and espresso, beginning with improvements in service, the selection of teas offered, and above all the professionalism and communication associated with the product.

There are some excellent tea rooms in Italy, but these remain small, isolated, and almost niche establishments. There are still very few of them and they’re primarily concentrated in northern Italy’s big cities. Many other businesses, following the trend and sensing an opportunity to increase their revenue, are trying to enter this world. I sincerely appreciate the effort they’re making, but with my “technical” eye as a tea expert, I can see at first glance that the problem is how they’re going about it! And just as sincerely, I confess that I too avoid ordering tea at coffee bars, setting for an espresso or cappuccino prepared with professionalism and skill.

Many small mistakes thwart any efforts made to offer quality tea, whether loose or in a bag. The end result doesn’t satisfy the demanding palate of tea lovers who, disappointed, are unlikely to want to repeat the (negative) experience. Not to mention the high price, often two or three times more than that of a cappuccino served at the table.

According to a Nielson study, when asked why they don’t drink tea, 67% of people who consume beverages outside of the home answered that it’s because they prefer coffee. In matters of taste, there can be no dispute. But if we take a look at the subsequent answers, they have nothing to do with tea’s supposed greatest obstacle, aka coffee. The answers say that it’s too bitter, doesn’t taste good, and is inconvenient and impractical. There are even those who have never ordered it!

The way I see it, aside from an unpleasant taste due to errors in its preparation, tea doesn’t occur to Italians because it isn’t considered among the many products present on the menu or because it’s communicated in a rushed, unattractive, and approximate way.

Often, even in the most renown pastry shops and luxury hotels, we find a boring list of invented names that provide no information about the type of tea, the country of origin, the taste and aroma, the best time of day to consume it, the steeping times, etc.. Care for some examples? 

“Gardens of Sicily”… I imagine a citrus flavored tea, butwhich? Green? Black? What are the ingredients in the blend? 

“African Nights”… is this a pure black tea from Kenya? Or is it a South African rooibos? 

“Tuareg Tea”… I’m expecting a mint flavored green tea, but are we sure that everyone knows this?

Out of curiosity, in a well-known Milanese pastry shop, I tried asking the waiter for more information. He very politely sought the help of a co-worker, who was also completely unprepared. At times less pomp and more substance would be better! As, for example, I happened to observe in drab little bars in the tiny, isolated towns of Andalusia in the early 90s. At the time I was attending the University of Granada, and this time abroad coincided with my discovery of and infatuation with the culture of tea. Almost thirty years ago, in Spain, the bartender at the “corner bar” knew how to offer clients a small selection of loose leaf teas prepared in the proper way. This experience was a total shock to me, given that Italy’s selection of teas at the time was limited to teabags of Earl Grey or English Breakfast.

Abroad (in Spain, France, Canada, the United Stats) the leap in quality was made decades ago due to a market which began to consume high quality (or rather stopped consuming low quality) teas thanks to more and correct information and, above all, specific professional training (such as classes to become a Tea Sommelier or courses dedicated to sensory analysis).

IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME AND IMPROVE SERVICE?

Of course! By starting to give tea the attention it deserves, placing it on the same level as coffee and wine, of which we’re experts. A little curiosity is all it would take to discover that behind a cup of tea lies a whole world, one as sophisticated as those of wine or the best Arabica. Every type of tea has its own characteristics and rituals.

Below I’ve put together some advice for boosting your business, improving your tea service, and, at the same time, increasing the number of satisfied clients. There’s no better publicity than a satisfied client who wants to repeat their experience.

1. Invest in training. I understand the challenges, especially given the, often sudden, changes in staff, but in order to sell a product, and tea is no different, it’s necessary to demonstrate expertise when interacting with a client, providing recommendations and suggestions in a clear, comprehensible, and accessible way. Experts will appreciate your competence and curious amateurs won’t feel uncomfortable.
2. Trust serious consultants who have worked in the sector for years, because only experience makes it possible for you to understand the desires of your target market. Be wary of those who promise to turn you into experts after tasting ten teas or who want to force their tastes or a single preparation style on you (for example, some eastern ceremonies are incompatible with the pace and spaces of the bar’s countertop). A professional must have empathy and be able to listen to you in order to truly provide suggestions on how to improve your service and stand out from the competition. He or she must provide solutions, not complications! I remain of the idea that many “Instagram gurus” should limit themselves to organizing tea clubs at home with just a few “select” friends, allowing them to freely indulge their egos without wasting the time of others who are working.
3. Every situation is unique, so there’s no sure-fire and replicable tea menu. The selection must always be developed according to the establishment’s style, atmosphere, ambience, decor, type of service, number of people in charge of preparation, type of clientele, budget, and consumption forecasts. A spa will have a different selection as compared to the menu of a tea room, just as the service at a buffet breakfast will be different from that offered in the lounge of a 5-star hotel.

Is it necessary to invest a lot of money in purchasing elegant porcelain tea sets or sophisticated cast iron tea pots? Absolutely not, it depends! The service must be in line with the establishment’s style and, often, a mug with a filter or a traditional English teapot is enough.

THE TEA LIST AND PAIRINGS

Furthermore, the equipment must be chosen according to how the space is organized: it’s important to keep in mind how and where the tea will be prepared and how it will be presented to the client. A well-written tea list must attract clients and guide them easily in making their choice. To make it more enticing, remember that tea isn’t only drunk at 5pm! You can suggest pairings at every hour of the day, as it can perfectly accompany both sweet and savory dishes.

1. How many types of teas and herbal infusions should you put on the menu? Specialized tea rooms aside (here the selection can include dozens, or even hundreds, of teas), I recommend no more than 10-12 types. It’s better to have fewer teas, that are easily managed (in terms of preparation, supply, storage, and optimal preservation), well-communicated, and carefully prepared, than countless and often expired bags of low quality tea left on the tables and touched by the clients who sat down before us. 
2. Many places prepare tea using the boiling water from the coffee machine. This couldn’t be more wrong! The water must be heated with an electric kettle equipped with an internal thermometer. Every family of tea requires a different temperature and steeping time, otherwise you risk burning it, causing it to become bitter, astringent, and only mildly aromatic. Furthermore, it’s necessary to follow the proper sequence of steps for the preparation: first the leaves or the teabag must be placed within the filter or teapot and only afterwards must the boiling water be added. When we order a macchiato, no bartender in the world would ever pour the foam into the cup before the espresso. Just like no sommelier would ever serve a Barbaresco in the glass of a Pantelleria straw wine! Why is it so hard to follow these basic simple rules?
3. To best respect this rule (“the water must be poured over the leaves or teabag”), you have two options. You can either bring the already prepared tea to the table or, if the pace of the bar doesn’t adapt well to the time necessary for steeping the tea, you can let your clients prepare it themselves, bringing a small hourglass and recommending the correct time. In this case, don’t forget to bring a small service dish on which to place the leaves or teabag once the tea has been extracted. Often this small detail is neglected, resulting in unpleasant drips on the saucer, in the ashtray, or on the table. A real mess!
4. If you already put the previous suggestions into practice, don’t take shortcuts with the preservation of the tea. Its worst enemies are light, heat, moisture, and other strong smells that the tea can absorb, thus contaminating it. So avoid displaying it in non-hermetic, glass containers that can cause it to degrade rapidly.

I’d like to ask you one last question that may seem obvious, but actually isn’t. 

Have you tasted and do you know all of the teas present in your selection? Have your employees? Understanding what you’re purchasing is crucial to successfully selling it. Demand that your suppliers provide you with all of the information on the teas that you’ve chosen in order to best promote and serve them. Don’t purchase blindly: even tea in a beautiful package, once steeped, might color the water yet lack taste, aroma, and persistence. 

Unfortunately, the proper indications and good training don’t always reach every link in the tea business chain, from producer to end consumer. 

In conclusion, tea isn’t just hot, colored water. It’s much more!

This beverage offers different flavors and complex aromatic notes and involves everything from ancient rituals to avant-garde preparation methods. Try to blend the more commercial aspect with passion, flavor, and innovation, because in order to stand out and make your establishment unique, you have to serve more than just a boring cup of tea. You have to offer your clients an experience. 

Are you ready to accept the challenge and create a new generation of Tea Baristas who know how to competently and expertly prepare and serve teas and herbal infusions? Teaching the discerning and sophisticated Italian palate to appreciate teas isn’t an impossible mission!