Mark T. Wendell Tea Company Tea Tutorial

MarkT.WendellTeaCompanyTeaTutorial
Asaspecialtyfoodandbeverageretailer,youhavenodoubtseentheunprecedentedgrowthin
teaconsumptionintheUnitedStatesandarerealizingitspotentialasanewproductlinetohelp
increaseprofitsinyourbusiness.Thecostofmakingacupofteacanrangefrom2to6centsper
cup.Ifyouareservingteatoyourcustomers,justrememberthatonaverage,onepoundofloose
tea makes about 160 cups! This translates to a lower price per cup cost than coffee, which
averages about 8 cents per cup. Since 1904, the Mark T. Wendell Tea Company has been
supplying fine teas to tea connoisseurs all over the world. During this time we have gained a
superior knowledge of purchasing and marketing specialty teas to potential wholesale clients.
Hereareafewrecommendationstohelpincorporatespecialtyteaintoyourbusinessplan.
KnowledgeIsPower,SoEducateYourself!
To quote tea industry author and consultant Jane Pettigrew, “tea sales are grown by engaging
others in the amazing experience of tasting and enjoying thousands of different teas available.
Knowing basic characteristics of teas from specific regions helps one to assess quality and to
describe the teas to potential customers.” This sounds like an easy plan to undertake, but this
typeofknowledgecantaketimetoachieve.Wehavefoundthatthebestwaytolearnaboutthe
unique world of specialty teas is to get a good background knowledge of tea terminology, tea
varieties, cultural aspects (andeverythingin‐between), then move onto thehands on brewing,
teatastingandcustomerinteraction.
Tostartout,therearemanygreatbooksouttherethatcangiveyouthebackgroundinformation
tostarttalkingeffectivelyabouttheterroirandcharacteristicsoftheteasthatyouareoffering.
Werecommendthefollowing:
TheUltimateTeaLover’sTreasury,byJamesNorwoodPratt
PublishedbyTeaSociety,2011
TheNewTeaCompanion,byJanePettigrew&BruceRichardson
PublishedbyBenjaminPress,2008
TheStoryofTea,ACulturalHistory&DrinkingGuide,byMaryLouHeissandRobertHeiss
PublishedbyTenSpeedPress,2007
TheTeaEnthusiast’sHandbook,byMaryLouHeissandRobertHeiss
PublishedbyTenSpeedPress,2010
WhatIsTeaAndWhereDoesItComeFrom?
Herearesomebasics.Allteacomesfromthetropicalplantknownas
Camellia sinensis. The tea plant grows best in a warm climate with
long sunlit days, cool nights and an abundance of rainfall. Tea plants
growataltitudesrangingfromsealevelto7,000feetandonlatitudes
asfarnorthasTurkeyinthemid‐eastandasfarsouthasArgentinain
SouthAmerica.
Tea is indigenous to China, Tibet, and northern India, though it is
cultivated in many other countries across the globe, including Sri
Lanka,Japan,Kenya,Turkey,Indonesia,Vietnam,Argentina,Tanzania,
Taiwan,Malawi,andZimbabwe.Themostcomplexteasgrowathigher
altitudes and many bushes can be cultivated for over 100 years. Tea
bushescoveraboutsixmillionacresoftheearthandareharvested
everyweekduringthealmostyearlonggrowingseason.
Aftereachwinterseason,thefirstsmallleavesandbudsoftheteabusharehand‐pluckedand
harvested. Once exposed to air, the leaf will begin to wither. When the picked leaf becomes
pliable,itcanthenbeturnedintodifferenttypesoftea.
A common misperception is that the various styles of tea are grown from
differenttypesofplants.Thefactisthatallstylesofteacomefromthesame
Camellia sinensis bush; however the method in which they are processed
varies. It is this variation in processing methods that give us the main
classifications and varieties of tea. Some teas are simply steamed after
plucking,whileothersaregentlybruisedtochangetheleaveschemistry.Other
teasareallowedtofermentatvaryinglevels,someforalongperiodoftime.
TheFiveMostCommonCategoriesOfTea
WhiteTea
Thisteaisthemostdelicatetypeoftea.Itispluckedbyhandwithintwodaysofthefirstbuds
maturing.Oncegathered,theteabudsaresteamed,allowingthenaturalmoisturetoevaporate
before being dried in the open air. Most white tea is grown in limited quantity in the Fujian
ProvinceofChina.Whiteteacontainscomparableantioxidantstogreentea,butitundergoesless
processing. It has extremely low caffeine content. When brewed,it yields pale yellow liquor in
thecupandithasalight,sweetflavorwithacleanfinish.
MTWOfferingsInclude: OrganicFlowerySilverNeedle(needlebudset)
ChinaMutanWhite(budsetwithopenleaf)
GreenTea
Toproducegreentea,freshleavesareplacedonbambootraysanddriedinthesun.Theleaves
are then placed into hot roasting pans and quickly moved about. They are continuously rolled
intoballsandre‐roasted.Thisprocessstopsthechemicalchangesfromoccurringintheleafby
never allowing it to wither and ferment. By eliminating the fermentation process, the dry leaf
retainsitsgreencolorandnaturalcomposition.
Lightyellowincolorandhavingavegetalflavor,greenteaisloadedwithbeneficialantioxidants.
Greenteasvaryinshapeandsize,rangingfromtwisted,curled,flat,pointed,half‐mooncrescent
andtightpelletsshapes.
MTWOfferingsInclude: ChineseGreenVarieties:Dragonwell,Gunpowder,Cloud&Mist,YoungHyson,ChunMeeand
RiverMist
JapanGreenVarieties:Sencha,Gyokuro,Genmaicha,MatchaandBancha
ScentedPouchong Varieties:YinHaoJasmine,ChinaJasmine,BloomingFloweryJasmineand
PearlJasmine
OolongTea
Afterplucking,thisteaiswiltedindirectsunlightandisthenshakeninbamboobasketstolightly
bruisetheleaf.Thechemicalsintheleafreactwiththeair,producingareddishleafcolor.Aftera
desiredamountoftime,theleafisfiredandtheoxidationprocessishalted,thusmakingthisa
“semi‐oxidized”tea.OolongteaisprimarilygrowninChinaandTaiwan(Formosa).
MostoolongteasproducedinChineseplantationsareoxidizedforashorterperiodoftimeand
are therefore lighter in taste and appearance than oolong teas produced in Taiwan, where
oxidation levels are traditionally higher. China oolong teas have a curled leaf with brown and
greenovertones,whereasthehigheroxidizedFormosaoolongsappearbrownincolor.
MTWOfferingsInclude:
ChinaOolongVarieties:RoyalRedRobe(DaHongPao),ImperialGoldOolongand
Min‐PeiFancyOolong
TaiwanOolongVarieties:ExtraFancyFormosaOolongandBrandyOolong
Pu‐erhTea
An unusual aged tea from China, Pu‐erh is made from fermented Yunnan Black tea. Thistea is
cultivatedinthebestgrowthareasfromtallteabushes.Afterpicking,Pu‐erhiscreatedbypiling
the tea for up to three months, allowing an internal fermentation of the leaf to occur. This
processgivesPu‐erhuniqueearthyovertones.
Itisusuallypackagedincompressedshapesofvaryingsizes,rangingfromdisksandnestshapes
tolargertablets.KnowonlyinChinaforcenturies,thistypeofteaisbelievedtohavenumerous
healthbenefits,rangingfromcholesterolreductionandeaseofstomachaches.Whenbrewed,pu‐
erhteashaveamustyovertoneandadarkbrewinthecup.
MTWOfferingsInclude: Pu‐erhTuoCha(smallnest‐shapedpieces)
OrganicBoldLeaf(looseleafpu‐erh)
BlackTea
In the case of Black tea, the leaves are plucked by hand and then left in the sun until they are
pliableenoughtoberolledwithouttheleafsplitting.Theleavesarethenputintoatumblerand
rolled.Thisprocesscausesthejuicesfromtheleavestoreactwiththeairandthenoxidize.The
greenleavesturnblackandarethenfiredindryingovens.
Black tea is the most common consumed in this country and is primarily cultivated in China,
India, Sri Lanka,Africa and Indonesia. They are often flavored orscented with fruits orspices.
Thedryingprocessleavesblackteawithmorecaffeinethanothertypes.Blackteascanappear
almostdarkredorbrowninthecupwhenbrewed.
MTWOfferingsInclude:
ChinaBlackVarieties:Yunnan,Keemun,LapsangSouchong(smoky)
IndianBlackVarieties:Assam,Darjeeling,Nilgiri(numerousvarietiesgrownindiffering
altitudes,teaestatesandseasons)
SriLankanBlackVarieties:CheericupCeylon
TaiwaneseBlackVarieties:Keemun,LapsangSouchong(Hu‐Kwa)
PopularBlends:EnglishBreakfast,IrishBreakfast,EarlGreyandRussianCaravan
HerbalTisanes
Herbalandfruit"teas"arecomprisedofherbs,spices,fruitpieces,andflavorings;theydonot
containthetealeavesoftheCamelliasinensisplant.Therefore,theyarenottrueteas,asmany
believe.Oftenreferredtoastisanes,herbalandfruit“teas”comeinmanyuniqueflavors,shapes
andarenaturallycaffeinefree.
MTWOfferingsInclude: South African Rooibos, Egyptian Chamomile, Ginger‐Lemon
andPeppermintLeaf.
TopSellingMarkT.WendellTeaCompanyProductsByCategory
MarkT.WendellTeaCompanyLooseLeafTeas
OurFamousTea:
Hu‐Kwa
BlackTeas: EnglishBreakfast,CheericupCeylon,ChinaKeemun,Darjeeling,
RussianCaravan,IrishBreakfast,VictorianAfternoon
Pu‐erhTeas: OrganicBoldLeafPu‐erh
OolongTeas: FormosaOolong,ChinaSechungOolong,Min‐PeiFancyOolong,
BrandyOolong
GreenTeas: Cloud&MistGreen,DragonwellGreen,OrganicChunMee
Green,JapaneseGenmaichaGreen,GunpowderGreen,YoungHysonGreen
WhiteTeas: ChinaMutanWhite
YellowTeas: HuoShanYellowSprouting
ScentedTeas:
EarlGrey,ChinaJasmine
FlavoredTeas:
PeachFlavoredBlack,SpicedMasalaChai,PomegranateFlavored
Green,GreenParadiseBlend,BlackcurrantFlavoredBlack,
TropicanaIcedTeaBlend
Decaf.Teas: DecaffeinatedEnglishBreakfast,DecaffeinatedEarlGrey
HerbalTisanes:
Rooibos,PeppermintLeaf,EgyptianCamomile
ImportedPackagedBrands
BostonHarbourTea:
LifeboatTea:
Heath&Heather: LondonFruit&Herb:
TyphooTea: FoojoyGold: Indar: WilliamsonFineTeas:
25ct.teabagbox,4oz.looseteatin,20ct.replicachest&
5ct.pillowpackdisplay
80countteabags
Lemon&Ginger,NightTime,Camomile,Apple&Cinnamon
Blackcurrant,Peach,Raspberry,Strawberry&Vanilla
80countregularanddecaffeinatedteabags
ImperialKeemunBlack,JasmineSilverPearls,YinHaoJasmine
Green,BeforeTheRainTippyGreen,LungChingPremiumGreen
25countteabags
AssortedElephantCaddiescontaining40teabags
Teapots&BrewingAccessories
FinumTeaControlTeapots
BlueWillowTeapots
ForLifeCurveTeapots
ForLifeHospitalityTeabagTeapots
NewLeafGlassTeaMug
FinumPaperBrewingFilters
Extra‐FineMeshStrainer
2inchSnapTeaballSpoon
SpecialtyTeaInAmerica
The consumption of tea spans the globe, with many cultures having their own unique
perspectivesandceremoniesforconsumption.Therearenosocio‐economicboundariesanditis
globallyembraced.TheAmericanspecialtyteamarkethasquadrupledintheyearsfrom1993‐
2010,nowbeingworth$6.8billionayear.Similartothetrendofhigh‐endcoffeeandfinewines,
this increase was partly due to consumers who choose to trade up. With more than 3,000
different variations, specialty tea houses and retailers have proliferated in recent years as
Americans are capitalizing on the variety of choice, “only the best will do,” and the publicized
potentialbenefitsfromantioxidantrichbrews.
IfIAmRetailingLooseTeasInBulkToMyCustomers,
WhichStylesofTeaShouldIOffer?
Abroadrangeofteascansatisfythedifferingtastesandmoodsofyourcustomers.Soitisbestto
pick a few items from the different classifications and sub‐categories of tea (black, pu‐erh,
oolong, green, yellow, white, scented, special blends, decaffeinated, flavored and herbals). To
create a well‐represented tea program, we recommend at least 16‐21 teasto start. When your
customerbaseincreases,youcanaddmoreteaofferingstosuityourneeds(organicoptionsand
morecomplexvarietiesofourteas.)Thesearesimplysuggestionsforastartingpointtoyourtea
programandoftentimesneedtobealtereddependingoncustomerrequestsandgeographical
local.
HowMuchShouldTeaShouldIBuyInitially?
Sincemerchandisingteaisanewsegmentofyourbusiness,itisoftentimeshardtogaugehow
muchproducttoinitiallypurchase.Wewouldrecommendfirstorderstobeontheconservative
side. With our quick service and stocked warehouse, you can re‐order when necessary and
receive your order in a matter of days. We always have samples available to cup prior to
ordering so you can make sure you will be getting what you are looking for. Once you have a
gauge on your customers needs, you can increase your orders to the more economical Five‐
Poundpackagingoptionsforourloose‐leafteas.Theselargerquantitieshaveanicepricebreak
factoredin.Sobuyinginvolumeisagreatwaytoloweryourresalecosts.
HowDoIDisplayAndStoreTheBulkTeaLeaves?
When tea is stored properly, it will remain fresh for an extended period of time. Tea does not
respond well to light, extreme temperatures, moisture and odors. Always remember that tea
should never be refrigerated! Therefore steps should be taken to store loose tea leaves in an
opaquepackagingoptionthatcanbesealedairtight.Withthisinmind,wesellourlooseleaftea
offerings in One and Five Pound bulk packages that are air tight and can be opened and re‐
sealed with a zip top closure. We also offer our signature one‐pound black and gold tins for
purchase and find that they make a standard storage display for vendors who sell bulk teas.
Many retailers choose to display loose tea leaves in glass containers, allowing the customer to
becomeintriguedbythesightandvarietyoftheteasoffered.Thisisagoodwaytocreateabuzz
aboutthelooseteasthatyouoffer,butitisbesttoavoidglasscontainersforstoringyourentire
inventory of loose tea. We recommend keeping samples of the different offerings in view and
thengetfreshertealeavesfromtheproperstoragecontainerwhenapurchaseismade.
WhatIfIWantToServeBrewedTeaToMyCustomers,
ShouldIServeLooseLeafTeaOrTeabags?
Thedecisiontoofferlooseteaorteabagstoyourcustomerstobrewin‐houseisbaseduponyour
specificneeds.Thereareseveraldifferencesbetweenbothoptionsthatoneshouldbeawareof.
Brewedloose‐leafteaisthebestwaytomakeacupoftea.Optimumtasteandthefullestflavor
areattainediftheleavesareallowedtounfurlslowly,withouttheteabaginhibitingtheprocess.
Tea bag teas are made from whole tea leaves that are broken to fit into the teabags.
Unfortunately,thisprocesscanweakenthetasteandcharacterofthetea.
To brew loose tea, there are several equipment options from which to choose. You can use
traditionalorfancyteapots(brewinbackoratthetable,timedaccordinglyandthendecanted
with proper strainer and filters into the customers tea cup, a cup with a tea infuser, or a
dedicated brewing machine or hot water dispenser (decanted behind the counter and then
served).
Formanyretailers,themostidealandproperwaytobrewtealeavesmaynotbeeasyforthemto
fitintoastorethatalreadyhasseveralpiecesofequipmentdecidedtocoffeeorotherfooditems.
Ifthisisthecase,thenservingteabagteamaybetheanswer.Theyprovideyouwithaserving
methodthatismoreconvenientforyour“onthego”customersandareeasytocleanup.
Iftheeaseandportabilityofteabagsappealtoyou,butyouwanttoofferyourcustomersthebest
teayoucan,individualcupfiltersmaybetheanswer.Paperteafiltersandreusablepermanent
filtersareusedwithunbrokentealeavesandaresimplyplacedintothecustomer’scup.While
boiling water is added and the tea has been allowed to steep, it can be removed and easily
discarded.
HowToBrewAPotOfTea
Differenttypesofteaneeddifferentwatertemperaturesanddifferentinfusiontimes,butthere
areafewsteadfastguidelinestofollowinordertoachievetheperfectcupoftea.
Fillthekettleorteapotwithfreshlydrawncoldwater(itmustcontainoxygeninordertobring
out the full flavor of the tea). We recommend using filtered water because the quality of your
waterwilldirectlyaffectthetasteofyourtea.Manytownshavewaterthathastoomuchchlorine
andotherminerals.Whenthewaterisneartheboilingpoint,pouralittleintotheteapot,swirl
around,andtipaway.Thisleavesahot,cleanteapot.
Measuretheteacarefullyintothepot,allowingoneroundedteaspoonoroneteabagforeachcup
required. Many people prefer to use a tea ball or filter to keep the leaves from spreading
throughouttheteapot.Bringthewatertoarollingboil.Donotallowittoboiltoolong,asitwill
boil away some of the flavor‐releasing oxygen and result in a flat cup of tea. Please note that
green tea should be made with water that has boiled and allowed to cool for just under a
minute.
Pourthewaterontotheleavesorteabags.Thissaturatestheteaallowingtheflavortorelease
naturally.Donotpourthewaterandthenaddthetea,thiswillonlyresultinapoorcupoftea.
Allowtheteatoinfusefortherequirednumberofminutes.
Pu‐erhTea
Black&FlavoredBlackTea
DarjeelingTea
OolongTea
JasmineTea
ChineseGreenTea
YellowTea
JapaneseGreenTea
WhiteTea
HerbalTisanes
FruitTisanes
Steeptealeavesfor2‐4minutes
Steeptealeavesfor4‐5minutes
Steeptealeavesfor3minutes Steeptealeavesfor3‐4minutes
Steeptealeavesfor3‐4minutes
Steeptealeavesfor2‐3minutes
Steeptealeavesfor1‐2minutes
Steeptealeavesfor1‐2minutes
Steeptealeavesfor2‐3minutes
Steeptealeavesfor5minutes Steeptealeavesfor5minutes 190‐205°Fwater(justshortofboiling)
200‐212°Fwater(boiling)
200‐212°Fwater(boiling)
190‐205°Fwater(justshortofboiling)
190‐200°Fwater(justshortofboiling)
170‐180°Fwater(boil‐coolfor1min)
170‐180°Fwater(boil‐coolfor1min)
160‐170°Fwater(boil‐coolfor2min)
175°Fwater(boil‐coolfor1.5‐2min)
200‐212°Fwater(boiling)
200‐212°Fwater(boiling)
Theseguidelinespresentedabovearesimplysuggestions.Onceyouandyourcustomersfeel
morecomfortablewithpreparingtea,youcanexperimenttocreatetheproperratioandbrewing
timeforyourtaste.Ifyoupreferyourteastrongerorweaker,nevervarythebrewingtime;
simplyincreaseordecreasetheamountoftea.Ifallowedtositintheteapot,theteacanover‐
brewandturnbitter.
MerchandisingMarkT.WendellBrandTeas
Byservingourlooseleafteastoyourcustomers,youareprovidingthemwithsomeofthefinest
teas available. Oftentimes customers will want to purchase the teas you are serving for
consumptionathome.Wepackourfulllineoflooseteasinclassicgold4ouncetinsthatcanbe
offered for re‐sale to your customers. We also offer several of our most popular sellers in 25
counttaglessteabagsaswellasaselectgroupofofferingsinourpyramidteabagpouches.These
areallgreatwaystoincreaseyourteasalesinstantly.
Offeradecentcrosssectionofpackagedteasthatincorporateboththelooseteasthatyoumay
beservingyourcustomersaswellasfewuniqueitems.Offerahalf‐dozen4ouncetins,25count
taglessteabagboxesandpyramidteabagpouchesforyourshelves.
Ourmostpopularselling4ounceteatinsinclude:
Hu‐Kwa,EnglishBreakfast,IrishBreakfast,Russian
Caravan,MountainKenya,CheericupCeylon,China
Keemun, Gunpowder Green, Young Hyson Green,
Japanese Sencha Green, Formosa Oolong, China
Sechung Oolong, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, China
Jasmine, Rooibos Herbal and Peppermint Leaf
Herbal.
Our most popular selling 25 count teabags include:
Hu‐Kwa, English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast,
Cheericup Ceylon, Russian Caravan, Young Hyson
Green, Oolong, Darjeeling and Decaffeinated English
Breakfast
New for 2015, we have taken created two new
premium ranges of pyramid style teabags.
Featuring eight flavorful black, green and white
selections like spicy chai, fruity mango black and
crispgreenmint,eachteabagvarietyispackedina
uniquere‐closablepouchwithdescriptivelabeland
brewingsuggestions.Wealsohavespeciallyblend‐
ed various Ayurveda offerings, designed to help
promoteyourdailyhealth.
AddingYourNameToOurWideSelectionOfTeas
TheMarkT.WendellTeaCompanyPrivateLabelProgram
Tohelpincreaseproductrecognitionwithyourteacustomers,weareabletocreatetheperfect
privatelabeloptionsforyoubyusingourwidevarietyoflooseleafteasorpyramidteabagsand
packaging them in our standard four ounce tins (loose teas) or zip‐top closure pouches
(teabags). Both of these options can be customized to include tea themed label backgrounds,
unique graphics, and desired descriptive text with tea brewing instructions. We can also add
yourlogotothefrontlabeltocreatetheappearanceofyourowntrulyuniqueteabranding.
With our private label program, we will supply you with our high quality teas, attractive
packagingandasecuritysealonthetopofeachunit.Thecostoftheproductwouldbethesame
asthepublishedwholesale4‐ouncetinorteabaglistingforeachselectedtea.
Weprivatelabellooseteasandteabagsformanyteabusinesseslocatedthroughoutthecountry.
Overall feedback from these accounts has been very positive, as they have found this to be a
great way to get their company’s name on a superior tea product and into the hands of their
customerswithease.
If you are interested in participating in our private label program, please contact us at
customerservice@marktwendell.comforadditionalinformationandlabelsamples.
MarkT.WendellTeaCompany
14‐ACraigRoadActon,MA01720(978)635‐9200www.bulktea.com