TeaBits The Quarterly Newsletter of the Tea Association & Tea Council of the U.S.A., Inc.

Editor: Mary McGrail January 15, 2003 Volume 10 No. 1 Best Wishes for a Happy New Year! From Joe Simrany, Jean Singer and Mary McGrail

ISLANDS OF THE FUTURE IS NOW TEA ASSOCIATION OPPORTUNITY CHAIRMAN BARRY COOPER IN A TURBULENT SEA LOOKS AHEAD

Excerpted below are remarks from Tea Associa- tion of the U.S.A. Chairman Barry Cooper’s pres- The following speech was presennted on October entation at this year’s Annual Convention, held in 17, 2002 by Tea Association/Tea Council of the U. La Quinta, California. Mr. Cooper made exten- S.A. President Joseph Simrany at the 57th Annual sive use of the latest technological advances in Tea Convention held in La Quinta, California. multi-media to make his point that the Tea Asso- ciation has truly entered the electronic age. While ______the high-tech features and innovation of the origi- nal presentation cannot be reproduced here, Mr. Welcome, delegates. It’s good to see so many old Cooper’s vision of an aligned, focused and friends and I look forward to making many new ones strengthened Association remains. over the next few days. ______

This year’s convention represents a bit of an experi- I consider being elected to the chair of the Tea Asso- ment. It is the first time that we have brought to- ciation of the U.S.A. to be the pinnacle of my career. gether delegates of the Traditional Tea business and It is a true honor to join the ranks of tea men whose delegates of the Specialty Tea business to participate names will echo down through history: Joe in what we hope will be an enriching and enlighten- Wertheim, Toby Fleming, Jack Painter, Peter Goggi, ing experience for all of us. This dual audience will Marty Kushner, Bill Bowron to name just a few. be especially visible on Saturday morning when both Men revered for their judgement, style and exemplary groups will attend the business session. The topics behavior. I am very proud to be counted among we will discuss will have their own particular rele- them. vance for each of the tea disciplines. More impor- tantly, they will show us that the opportunities and The Last twelve months have seen some far-reaching challenges we face now changes for our Association. When and in the future, are (Cont’d on page 2) (Cont’d on page 7) VOL. 10 ISSUE 1 T EAB ITS PAGE 2 Islands of Opportunity

(Cont’d from page 1) shared ones. Our ability to take advantage of the op- search portunities and to manage the challenges will be di- showing a rectly related to our willingness and readiness to lev- reduced risk erage the power of our combined strengths and ex- of cancer, pertise. just to name a couple. The tea and health research discussed by The title of this presentation is “Islands of Opportu- the leading researchers and scientists generated 61 nity in a Turbulent Sea.” Despite a struggling busi- million broadcast impressions among consumers ness environment and correspondingly sluggish tea who tuned into shows such as the CBS Nightly sales, we have many reasons to be optimistic in the News where Dan Rather declared that “New re- Tea Industry today. It is true that given our current search says tea prevents cancer and heart disease.” economic conditions, it’s tough to be an optimist. Getting Dan Rather or Paul Harvey to say nice Some optimists -- like the man who believes he can things about tea is an incredible accomplishment marry his secretary and still dictate to her -- have un- because their listeners view them as being ex- realistic expectations. Other optimists are justified tremely credible. You can’t buy that kind of cov- by the facts that support their beliefs. erage for any amount of money.

There are many reasons to be For many who attended the Symposium, I have heard varying accounts ranging from satisfaction optimistic about the state of our to exhilaration. It is not unusual to have such a business! wide range of reactions. I recall my own reaction sitting in the audience at the First Scientific Sym- posium during my first month on the job back in For the last decade, the members of the Board who 1991. I recall thinking, What am I doing here and have endorsed the Tea & Health initiative have un- what are they saying? To the uninitiated, uncover- derstood the wisdom of using a health message to ing tea’s health benefits may seem a slow and drive tea consumption. However, as Gerry Doutre complicated process. However, we are making just showed us, it is no automatic slam-dunk! We significant progress as evidenced by the media’s need to be smart about how we convert the positive coverage of our event. We had three national net- news about health benefits into increased consump- work feeds on the day of our Press Conference and tion of tea. many other networks used the information we pro- vided to also disseminate the story. We have a At the recent Third International Scientific Sympo- symposium highlights video that we will show you sium on Tea and Human Health, hosted by the Tea Saturday morning and we will make a personal Council, our optimism was rewarded some 61million copy available to each of our member companies times. That’s the number of TV & Radio publicity after the convention. impressions we generated in the three days following the Symposium – excluding print and the Internet. While the video does a good job of summarizing the event and highlighting the results, it cannot Our next presenter, Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg will go into adequately convey the underlying excitement gen- details about the results of the symposium. How- erated by the Washington, DC venue or the caliber ever, by now most of you have probably seen or of scientists involved in its organization and pres- heard of the news coverage generated by Dr. Judd’s entation. studies on tea and heart disease and Dr. Hakim’s re- (Cont’d on page 5) V OLUME 10 I SSUE 1 T E A B I T S P AGE 3 TeaBits Interview: Laurie Clemans of The Herbal Cafe A Master Blender Cultivates the Art of Tea

By Mary McGrail The following is an in- terview with Specialty Tea Institute member Laurie Clemans. Ms. Clemans is President and CEO of The Herbal Café. Her whole leaf tea blends and herb blends include an Estate Vintage Tea Menu, as well as an extensive catalogue of signature green tea blends, white tea, or- ganic black teas, as well as tea accessories, and a tea sommelier and presentation pro- gram. We asked her to tell us about the passion she brings to tea blending, and how The Herbal Café markets its many specialty teas. ______

How did you get started in tea? What made you want to make tea and herbs your business? ***20 years ago I started making herbal infusions while studying herbal medicine and plant pharmacology at the California School of Herbal Studies. I gained further education through the International Herbal Sym- posiums, the East West School of Herbology and the American Herbalist Guild. I learned how to formulate for specific purposes; from immune building and energy support to the full range of acute and chronic con- ditions. We were trained in the diagnostic and therapeutic principles of traditional Western, Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicine. It was gratifying to see how much better people felt from a simple cup of tea. I then started an herbal practice, custom blending herbal infusions for my clients and for local practitioners. Concurrently, I was drawn to and studied the preparation methods, art, history, varietals and health proper- ties of green, oolong and black tea.

Five years ago, I saw herbs and green tea splashed on the front pages and showing up on name brand prod- uct ingredients lists. I decided it was the right time to dive in and launch the herbal cafe®, a whole leaf tea company. (I also have a long career in strategic executive marketing, consumer advertising and graphic de- sign which helped in the decision to move forward!)

My vision from the start has been to bring exceptional and rare herbal infusions, green tea and blends to a discerning, health conscious, tea drinking audience -- positioned for specific health and well being benefits; surrounding that perspective with sophisticated blending and aesthetics, distinctive flavor profiles, sustain- able sourcing and an emphasis on organic ingredients.

How do you feel these qualities work together to strengthen your marketing message? Can you talk about your target consumer a bit? How do you like to reach/educate him or her? Marketing Messaging: (Cont’d on page 12 VOL. 10 ISSUE 1 T EAB ITS PAGE 4 Move Over Nouveau ‘Teany’ Makes Tea Beaujolais— The Real Easy as Pie Race is For The Year’s By Best Teas Mary McGrail The following are remarks by Mr. Gerry Vandergrift on the occasion of a special meeting in Sri Lanka convened on November 21, 2002 by the Tea Board of Sri Lanka at Asia Siyaka warehouse facilities, to Tea Estate winners and international press corps. You could walk right past Teany and not know it.

This tea salon/restaurant is small-scale, tucked Mr. Vandergrift is a Tea Association of the U.S.A., away on Rivington Street in New York City’s Inc. Board member, and a member of the Advisory Lower East Side. A century or so ago, waves of Board of the Specialty Tea Institute. He is President impoverished workers packed this part of town— of The Metropolitan Tea Company Ltd. Jewish, Irish, Italian immigrants, African- Americans and others— all clearing a hard path ______towards the American Dream. Today, for all the area’s art-chic gentrification, these old tenement blocks still hint at their tough, vibrant history, es- I am very pleased to be here in my capacity as a Mem- pecially after dark. ber of The Board of Directors of the Tea Association of the USA as well as a member of the newly formed Spe- On a recent wintry night a few thirsty urbanites en- cialty Tea Institute - a special committee of the US Tea tered Teany, looking for hot tea in the place co- Association. Tea has been a passion to me for the last owned by techno pop musician Moby. Our visit 24 years and I am very happy to be part of the resur- suggests that Teany’s popularity is due less to ce- gence of Specialty Tea in the USA and North America. lebrity buzz than to a remarkable ninety-five spe- cialty teas, each served simply and correctly. Busy We know that if we improve the quality of as it is, this tea salon offers adventurous, even ex- otic, tea choices, all the while maintaining an at- tea in North America we will increase mosphere of no-fuss comfort. demand Teany means tea, and, in reference to the restau- rant itself, small. Candles flickered in the intimate It is probably appropriate to give some background. space as we studied the encyclopedic menu. The Tea Association of the USA recognized about 3-4 Among teas listed were whites, blacks, oolongs, years ago that there was a need for an additional focus greens, herbals— pages and pages of them. Food to the American tea industry. Since 1990 the traditional decisions were a cinch compared with our attempts business in the USA and for that matter North America to select a beverage. We eventually picked a was not showing any signs of growth despite a growing smoky Russian Caravan, a subtle vanilla sencha, a population – by corollary a decline in tea consumption. “white peony” from China, Gyokuro "Jewel Dew" Also the large supermarkets be- and several others, all delicious. Inexpensive, gan dictating prices and as all in (Cont’d on page 13) hearty vegetarian fare accom- (Cont’d on page 15) V OLUME 10 I SSUE 1 T E A B P AGE 5

Islands of Opportunity the title of “Father of the Tea & Health (Cont’d from page 2) Movement.” The industry owes you At a pre-symposium reception hosted by the Sri its sincere thanks. Lankan Ambassador at his house in Washington DC, the Chief of the National Cancer Institute. John It is true during Milner, was an unexpected guest. The significance these troubling of that seemingly casual event cannot be overempha- times that it is difficult to be an optimist. Every sized. It is indicative of the importance with which day brings new revelations of business ills rang- the scientific community views tea. ing from disappointing sales and profit results to outright criminal activity in the Board Room. The scientists who presented their research results at These times challenge business leaders to exam- the symposium did so because they are intrigued by ine closely the policies and strategies that they prior research results and not because we are paying have put in place to drive their businesses for- them. These scientists are eager to uncover the un- ward. derlying mechanisms that will lead to an expansion of our knowledge of tea’s contributions to human Now, more than ever, we need strong leaders in health. the Tea Industry who can see beyond the present turbulent waters and who recognize the Islands of From the standpoint of human health, the implica- Opportunity that offer safe harbors for the Tea tions of this body of investigation and discovery are Industry. Now is the time for our leaders to take staggering. Tea is consumed all over the world and decisive action and steer a course through the tur- remains affordable to virtually every person in the bulent seas to allow tea to prosper. world. As the research scientifically binds tea ever closer to a growing list of health benefits, communi- I believe during this conference, we will all come cation of those benefits will undoubtedly result in to have a clearer vision of those Islands of Op- an increase in consumption. This increase in tea portunity. We will learn about opportunities to consumption will have dramatic implications for the build profit by better management of our supply state (and cost) of maintaining public health. chains and by better utilization of the health mes- sage. The scientists and the tea industry executives in- volved in the pursuit of this knowledge are true vi- The Tea Industry has incredible opportunities for sionaries. They see beyond the challenges of the growth driven not only as a result of teas’ appar- investigative process to the end point of improved ent contributions to human health but by its ver- health and increased tea consumption. I am re- satility and ability to satisfy a wide array of con- minded of a recent Awards dinner in NYC where we sumer needs and desires. The Tea Council and honored Marty Kushner for his vision regarding the each of its member companies must find new significance of the Tea & Health initiative. He told ways to capitalize on the emerging scientific me afterwards that following my comments, his wife findings and the intrinsic qualities of tea to cata- Arlene whispered in his ear, “Some visionary, you pult tea to new heights of popularity and profit- couldn’t even find the entrance to the Lincoln tun- ability. Above all the Tea nel!” Well that may be Marty but you still deserve Industry must not squan- (Cont’d on page 6) VOL. 10 ISSUE 1 T EAB ITS PAGE 6 Islands of Opportunity (Cont’d from page 5) The 3rd International Tea & Health Symposium: der the opportunity because of the high cost A STI Member’s of delivering the message or because of the level of Appreciation spending of aggressive competitive beverages or because of any of dozens of other apparent obsta- cles in our way. We must work together to find ways around these obstacles to take full advantage of the opportunity we have to increase tea con- By Donis W. Ford sumption. A thirst exists among every day I think the recent supplemental ad program under- teatotalers not only taken by the Tea Council is one example of how for good tea, but optimism can be translated into beneficial action. also for reliable in- While this effort had many objectives, one of the formation on why most important was to demonstrate that there are exactly tea is a many things we can say today to link tea to its ap- “healthful” bever- parent contributions to health to increase the con- age. Like tea ven- sumption of tea. There is no need to wait! dors and tearoom owners, the constituents of the Specialty Tea Institute (STI) who solely lecture In the ad, we needed to capture consumers’ atten- on tea at annual scholarship fundraisers; county tion immediately and deliver a compelling mes- fairs, local libraries and regional arts centers; sage. We accomplished this by calling the ad an book, garden, and country clubs also field ques- “Open Letter to Tea Drinkers”. In addition to at- tions about tea and health -- and “stuff”: Will tracting the attention of tea drinkers, we likely gen- drinking pu-erh help me lose weight? Does it erated a good deal of curiosity with other consumer matter whether I drink decaffeinated or caffien- groups as well. However, our primary target audi- ated tea? Is there really green tea in Elizabeth Ar- ence was light to moderate consumers of tea. We den’s fragrance and skincare products of the same felt that the task of convincing them to drink more name? Even though my answers to such ques- tea was far easier than trying to convince a non- tions invariably begin with “it depends and no user to switch to tea. one knows for certain but research sug- gests…” (and ask Elizabeth Arden!), a few are To quickly deliver our message, we used a bold wont to believe what they believe! Tea Council headline that simply stated, “Are you drinking of America U.S.A. Inc. events such as the recent enough tea?” We followed with a bold sub- International Scientific Symposium on Tea & headline stating that scientists are suggesting as Human Health enable STI members to stay cur- few as four servings a day could result in signifi- rent with the latest scientific research. The Sym- cant health benefits. Could you imagine the posi- posium plus Topline on Tea and media clippings tive effects on tea consumption resulting from on new scientific findings sent to members equip moving light and moderate users of tea from 1 to 2 us to meet the challenge of health myths with the cups a day to 4 or more? The implications are stag- facts, one teatotaler at a time. Thanks STI. gering!

With sufficient exposure, (Cont’d on page 11) Donis W. Ford is Founder, Tea Savoir Faire ™ V OLUME 10 I SSUE 1 T E A B I T S P AGE 7

The Future is Now (Cont’d from page 1) I stood before you in Bermuda and accepted this of- changes ahead of us are going to be ever more dra- fice I spoke of the need to change. How change was matic. We are the members, it is our call. Pay up or occurring around us so rapidly that we had to shift lose services. gears to bring our association into the electronic world. I can report that we are now well on that road Next we focused on functions of the Association. and you will soon see what we have achieved in the The Association’s task is to look to the needs of its last year. It is spectacular and Joe and his team de- members. Any time spent not doing that is time serve great credit for making it happen. But while wasted. Keeping track of accounts, paying bills, we were gearing up to enter the E-world of informa- that kind of thing, takes our staff away from the tion we took some enormous steps of consolidation. critical area of customer service. Paying bills is im- portant, it’s just that someone else can do it. So we In order for an organization to be effective it must be outsourced the financial services. Now our staff can aligned, focused, and it must see the objectives take care of us, the members. clearly. In the mid-90’s two independent specialty tea groups came into being; one on the east coast Next we looked at the roles of the staff. And I calling itself the Specialty Tea Registry, or STAR, and one on the west coast calling itself the American Future Continued on page 8) Premium Tea Institute, or APTI. The potential for a mixed message to the tea consuming public was easy Bound Leaves to see. My predecessor Bill Bowron, Joe Simrany and their counterparts Mike Spillane and Shoshank Goel in APTI recognized the opportunity that a join- ing of forces represented and this year east and west united to become the Specialty Tea Institute – a sin- gle, focused and powerful force in the world of tea. We welcome the chairman of that organization, Shashank Goel, onto the Board of the Tea Associa- tion and look forward to his insights and wisdom in She was there for a memory she’d held on to the years ahead. since she was a child. She always had loved the thick odour from the leaves, and as for Our next task was to align the Tea Council and the that green leaf she knew there was nothing Tea Association. These two groups have always greener. She remembered entering tea and been close allies but different agendas often resulted rubber factories as if they kingdoms and imag- in the two being at cross purposes. By funding the ining which of those kingdoms she wished to Tea Council through the dues of the membership we be a part of when she became an adult. A hus- created alignment and focus for our marketing ef- band in tea or a husband in rubber. There forts, our tea and health initiatives and enabled the was no other choice. And their house flung on correct distribution of management energies. Our top of a solitary hill. objectives became clear. It has also become clear that this funding requires a commitment from all of us, From the novel “Anil’s Ghost” big and small. This is plain talk folks, but we are the By Michael Ondaatje members, it is our Association, and if we do not meet Vintage International 2001 our financial obligations to the Association then the VOL.10 ISSUE 1 T EAB ITS PAGE 8 We will be proactive in changing what The Future is Now (Cont’d from page 7) needs to be changed to better position our- selves to meet the challenges and needs of the future would like to recognise Jean and Mary, our two coor- dinators. For that is what they do. They coordinate a vast array of activities. Again, it is those words, focus and our holiday dinner. All of these get-togethers and alignment. The next activity we examined was are networking opportunities and will keep the this very event we are attending today, the annual cameraderie of our trade alive and well. convention. It is unique in the tea world, a forum where tea professionals and allied trades can gather But times are clearly changing and changing rap- together and network, learn about what is going on in idly. To sit still and ignore the implications of all the world of marketing, sales, legs and regs, and what these changes would be foolish. So I have formed their Association is doing. We found that the conven- a special Strategic Review Committee to look into tion was taking an enormous amount of time and re- the future two, five, ten years out. We will be pro- sources to organize and run. We looked at outsourc- active in changing what needs to be changed to ing the convention but it was too expensive. And better position ourselves to meet the challenges and with the consolidation that is ongoing in our industry needs of the future. One thing is sure, we will need the support for an annual convention was deemed to the continued support and participation of our be no longer there. members. The many who serve on committees are the silent workforce that is the heart of the Asso- But what is important is that we continue to meet as a ciation. Without their skills, resources and dedica- trade. Do not forget, the tea and health initiative tion we truly would not be able to meet the needs came about because the UK and the US attendees at of the members. I thank you and every member our convention in Bermuda ten years ago came up and every chairman, for your hard work and sacri- with the idea that tea might be good for you, and de- fice. cided to prove it! We also need to keep up to date on our business and the legislative and sales world In particular, I want to thank my Board and my Ex- around us. Getting together is very important. So, ecutive Committee. They deal with complex and next year a World Tea Forum will be held in New far-reaching issues with style and panache and my York City. We are considering a dinner and then a task would have been impossible without their full day of meetings. And, as the name suggests, we guidance and counsel. So as we have positioned hope it attracts overseas participation as our conven- and aligned our Association to meet the needs of tions have done. the future. What is going to take us there? You all heard me last year when I said that we would have The year after that is 2004. We will get together in the more traditional convention, and then in 2005 Cont’d on page 9 once again hold a World Tea Forum event, possibly in San Francisco. This is facing the reality of the world we live in, and the pressures on time, money, and peo- ple. Your association has worked at trying to main- tain the wonderful tradition of the convention, but at the same time addressing the budget constraints of as- sociations and the needs of the members. And we will continue to meet every year, as we should. We will hold our traditional golf outing, VOL. 10 ISSUE 1 T EAB ITS PAGE 9 The Future is Now (Cont’d from page 8) Hot off the Press! an operating Web site in place by July of 2002 and I More Tea and Health am happy to say we have achieved that objective. But Coverage it is much more than that. It is our superhighway to the future.

There is more work to do. We have only just begun our journey into the world of E-Information and com- munication. I believe it was critical that we moved fast on this track and have made it a priority for my first year in office. The other priority was to align the As part of our on- Association and its focus and to better position it for going effort to the continued years of change I see before us. keep tea in the news, we are Because there will not be a convention next year this pleased to share is, for many of you, the last time you will see me as a with you eleven recent articles on the role of tea chairman giving an annual review. I would like to in a healthy diet. Much of the coverage reflects thank Joe for his unstinting support and hard work in many of the messages on the many potential pursuing the aims that I outlined. Joe, I more than ever benefits of tea resulting from research presented know the burdens of your day to day office and I am at the Third International Scientific Symposium proud to show today your achievements. Others will on Tea & Human Health: Role of Flavonoids in take up the task of leadership when I step aside next the Diet, as well as information featured in Top- year. But I hope that my vision for a stronger, aligned, line on Tea and in our other press efforts wired and focused Tea Association of the U.S.A. throughout the year. comes about from the changes you have seen today. Environmental Nutrition – September 2002 – As I said in my opening, I consider this office to be the Extracting the Truth About Chemicals in Decaf pinnacle of my almost forty years in the tea trade and Coffee (and Tea) – The method of decaffeination thank you for allowing me to serve you as Chairman. is discussed with regard to coffee, providing a It was and is an honor. Thank you. comparison between natural decaffeinating agents and chemical decaffeinating solvents. Tea is positioned as an alternative to coffee and an option for reducing caffeine intake, since tea pro- vides half the amount of caffeine as brewed cof- fee and provides “health-promoting flavonoids.” TeaBits Tip of The Month: Audience Reach: 125,000 Keep it Simple. Weight Watchers – September/October 2002 – Reduce your emails and memos to Food For Thought – Referencing recent studies clear, direct points. Strip away published in the Archives of Internal Medicine needless detail or aimless tan- and Circulation: Journal of the American Heart gents. Avoid jargon and cliches Association, tea drinking is mentioned as benefi- and, last but not least, always cial for cardiovascular health and bone density. proofread what you write before Audience Reach: 1,250,000 you hit Send!

Continued on page 10 V OLUME 10 I SSUE 1 T E A B I T S P AGE 10 Hot off the Press! (Cont’d from page 9) Studies suggest tea drinking may strengthen bones and possibly prevent certain types Fitness – October 2002: of cancer · Eat Smart – Referencing a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, tea con-

sumption may be attributed to stronger

bones. Participants who drank black, green Drinking green tea is encouraged for smokers, or oolong tea exhibited higher bone densities since an indicator of cell damage fell 25% in than non-tea drinkers. smokers who drank green tea. The article men- · Get Smart About Eating – In this week-by- tions that the meeting was held in Washington at week guide to a healthier diet, drinking chai the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is recommended and is mentioned as being mentions the Tea Council and the American Can- beneficial due to the “disease-fighting prop- cer Society as two of the sponsors. erties of tea.” A study published in Journal Audience Reach: 5,046,553 of Nutrition is referenced, which found that

black tea may be cardio- and cancer- Health – November 2002 – Mind/Body – Black, protective. green and oolong tea drinkers are mentioned as Audience Reach: 2,957,738 having increased bone mineral density as com-

pared to non-tea drinkers, according to a Taiwan- More – October 2002 – Vital & Vibrant – The article ese study. Drinking two cups of tea per day is reports study findings that suggest drinking black or said to provide the same bone health benefits as green tea may lower risk of dying following a heart two to three servings of dairy. attack. Audience Reach: 3,422,425 Audience Reach: 1,875,000

Prevention – November 2002 – Top Five Foods Prevention – October 2002 – Mailbag – A Preven- for Killer Immunity – The article explains that tion reader writes that she enjoyed learning that tea when the immune system functions to prevent in- drinking may offer a wide variety of health benefits. fection, free radicals may be formed in the proc- She asks whether or not the antioxidants in tea are ess. Tea is called an “antioxidant broth” which removed in the decaffeination process. Prevention works to eliminate free radicals. Black and green responded that antioxidant levels in decaffeinated tea tea are mentioned as having more antioxidants are comparable to that of caffeinated tea, and that than any fruit or vegetable. Readers are instructed both regular and decaf tea have antioxidant levels to continuously dunk their tea bags to release higher than many fruits and vegetables. more flavanols. Audience Reach: 7,776,605 Audience Reach: 7,776,605

US News & World Report – October 7, 2002 – Tea TIME Magazine – November 4, 2002 – What Time – The Third International Scientific Symposium Color Do You Want Your Tea to Be? – Tea is de- on Tea & Human Health is referenced in this article scribed as a hip beverage “of the moment,” being on the health benefits of tea. Health benefits cited enjoyed at Hollywood events as well as in a new include lowering cholesterol and reducing cellular damage that leads to cancer and heart disease. (Cont’d on page 11) V OLUME 10 I SSUE 1 T E A B I T S P AGE 11 Islands of Opportunity (Continued from page 6)

ads such as this one are capable of converting the good news about the health benefits of drinking tea into increased tea consumption. The key is sufficient exposure. The message must be delivered a suffi- years to come are excellent. This vitality is cient number of times over a sufficient period of time driven by: to compel consumers to change their habits. In the ¨ A “never ending supply” of good news absence of a generic advertising budget, the respon- on the health front sibility for getting the message out falls on our ¨ The increasing popularity of R-T-D tea Packer Members. Obviously, running this type of ¨ The explosive growth of Specialty Tea advertising is expensive and beyond the current ¨ The increasing awareness of the profit- means of the Tea Council. ability of promoting quality tea in food service However, nothing is stopping the brands from using ¨ The long-term consumer trends to eat a similar approach to attract consumers to their healthy & adopt healthy lifestyles. brands. A branded version of the ad could easily de- ¨ And the array of intrinsic qualities of tea. liver both a compelling health message as well as the brand’s unique selling proposition. In short, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the state of our business. Let’s use the You don’t have to be an optimist or a visionary to knowledge we gain over the next few days to see how the existing research and good news about turn all of us into visionaries -- visionaries tea can help transform the industry and your individ- whose commitment to an invigorated and profit- ual businesses. able future for our industry and our businesses is closer to being reality than ever before. The Tea Council has some other fantastic programs lined up for next year to keep the health message Thank you. fresh and the media eager to run the story again and again. While we don’t have time to go into all of the programs this morning, I want to assure you that the body of scientific evidence linking tea to a great many health benefits is growing at an ever increasing Hot off The Press! (Cont’d from page 10) rate. There are literally hundreds of studies pub- lished each year, many of which are capable of gen- erating millions more positive consumer impres- breed of tea shops. Health benefits are said to have sions. As the findings are revealed, we will help to sparked interest in tea. Black, red, green and white disseminate the information to the media and to our tea are described in terms of flavor and health members. After all, Public Relations activities re- benefits. Cardiovascular health benefits are listed main the most efficient way to deliver the Tea & under black tea; cholesterol-lowering effects and Health message. anti-cancer benefits are attributed to green tea. Audience Reach: 10,285,342 The prospects for a vital market for tea for many V OL. 10 ISSUE 1 T EAB ITS PAGE 12

Laurie Clemans of The Herbal Café (Cont’d from page 3)

***Our customers have confidence in us because our tea lives up to our mar- keting. People are drawn to our expertise, the high standards and attention to detail we set in selecting ingredients, our commitment to safe growing prac- tices and our longstanding relationships with sources of integrity. Plus, our teas taste and look wonderful! Many people are seeking alternatives to coffee and healthy ways to enhance their lives easily. Our tea line delivers this and cus- tomers can feel it in every cup.

Channels of Distribution/Consumer Categories: ***We are focused in Food Service, Retail, and Private Label/Product Development:

Food Service: ***Our target customers are premium restaurants, spas and hotels.

Retail: ***Our target customers presently are specialty foods and gift stores, health food stores, tea salons, inde- pendent high-end grocery stores.

Private Label/Product Development: ***Signature tea line development as well as herbal and functional food turnkey solutions including posi- tioning, naming, branding, product andpackaging development. Product re-packaging and positioning for foreign tea companies and estates who want to penetrate the American consumer tea market.

Education: ***We educate through our literature, public relations and web site. I also lecture and teach. Plenty more to do in this arena.

In a related vein, do you find Tea Council support for things such as the Scientific Symposium on Tea & Human Health recently held in Washington useful to businesses such as yours? How? Any hints on working in positive health news, such as research results, without making tea seem too "medicinal" or a "cure-all"? Any suggestions about marketing the specialty tea and health mes- sage? ***The Tea Council does a great service to us all by sponsoring such symposiums and keeping us up to date on the latest research with regard to tea. We pass the information on to our customers.

***The wonderful thing about tea, whether green, black, oolong or herbal, is that every one (if grown, harvested and processed properly) has healthful properties. And as long as the taste is there, consumers will be too. We find that chefs, restaurant managers and even hardened food and beverage folks perk up when they know how and why our teas are good for their customers.

(Cont’d on page 14) VOL. 10 ISSUE 1 T EAB ITS PAGE 13

The Real Race is for The Year’s Best Teas

(Cont’d from page 4) the tea business know – this corresponded to lower pertise and attention to detail, the event would quality. There was definite need to change and deviate not have been as successful as it became and ob- from this course. viously by the turnout tonight from the tea trade and international and domestic media – is be- This need for a change resulted in the formation during coming!. In fact on account of the success, the 1996 of two groups STAR and APTI which merged US Tea Association will now be holding this this year under the auspices of the Tea Association of competition on an annual basis. In France as you the USA, with the mission to increase consumption of know there is a race for new season Beaujolais – specialty tea in North America. North America despite well time to move over Beaujolais Nouveau – the its high level of disposable income is not particularly real race will be for Sri Lanka’s best teas! well serviced or knowledgeable about specialty tea – so there is tremendous potential in this market! Additionally through Sri Lanka’s foresight and proactive approach to marketing of high quality In 2000 during a tea convention in Puerto Rico it was Ceylon Tea, a tea tour for America’s specialty tea decided that innovative thinking was required to jump entrepreneurs is in the final stages of organiza- start demand for high quality tea in North America. tion. The health message was working and working well, but we also thought lets bring this together with qual- The level of cooperation between the Tea Board of ity. Parallels were drawn to the wine industry and spe- Sri Lanka and the Tea Association of the U.S.A. is cialty coffee industry and how they had transformed unique. There are not precedents – it is ground themselves into highly desirable consumable products breaking – at least in the last 100 years! The last with seemingly few price barriers and double digit an- time there was this level of cooperation between nual growth in demand. This is where the Estate of the the USA and Sri Lanka was in 1903 at the St. Year program was born. Three countries showed keen Louis World’s Fair. On behalf of the Tea Associa- interest but it was only Sri Lanka who acted and acted tion of the USA and the Specialty Tea Institute I quickly – pledging funding and expertise. The result would like to say a very special thank you to the was a major tasting competition at the recent tea con- Tea Board of Sri Lanka. We appreciate your high vention in California where some 40 teas from the 6 level of confidence in our activities. major tea growing regions of Sri Lanka where judged. Members of the tasting panel included executives from The Tea Association of the USA is very commit- companies such as Tazo tea – the tea arm of Starbucks ted to the Specialty Tea Initiative. We know that and Lipton (perhaps you have heard of these compa- if we improve the quality of tea in North America nies?). The event was an overwhelming success. A we will increase demand – and the increase in de- brief comment here – mand could be significant! The ramifications of Congratulations to the this rise in demand for quality tea will be felt in a team from Sri Lanka positive manner throughout the industry. In- for doing such excellent creased prices will result in many benefits for the work prior to the event whole supply and consumption chain. We also and during the tasting – know that to fully achieve this goal we have to be without this level of ex- inclusive of the world’s tea industry. Using Sri

(Cont’d on page 16) V OLUME 10 I SSUE 1 T E A B I T S P AGE 14

Laurie Clemans of the Herbal Cafe

(Cont’d from page 12) Could you tell us some things to keep in mind about blending tea with varieties of herbs, flowers, and spices? *** We see our tea blending as an innovative, ongoing exploration. We blend for aesthetics, specific flavor profiles and health properties, drawing on the wisdom of ancient formulating practices, our expertise as pro- fessional clinical herbalists and our knowledge of the senses. It is important when creating an herbal blend or an herbal/green tea blend to understand the subtle properties and actions of each ingredient. Individual elements should be evaluated and experienced before incorporating. Size, aroma, brewing times, visual and blending compatibility must also be considered. The fanciest grade greens and oolongs should not be blended, in my opinion, as their flavors are delicate, precious and potent on their own.

On Saturday, October 19, 2002 at the La Quinta Resort in California the Sri Lanka Estate Tea of the Year Tea Tasting was held during the Annual Tea Convention of the Tea Association. Forty tea samples, sorted by region, were judged, with winners and runners up for each region. An overall best tea, from the Nuwara Eliya region, was also selected. Do you think this sort of event can be helpful to your marketing efforts? Do you advocate this idea of establishing estate teas/single origin teas for the Specialty sector? ***Absolutely. The more we know about the origins of the tea, the better we can serve the public, set standards, improve our products and educate.

I understand that most of your teas are organic. Briefly, What is your take on the organic tea market in the US? Do you see it growing, see more awareness of organics? ***Every indication shows that organic tea is jumping on the coattails of the organic movement. Consum- ers are turning to organics in greater and greater numbers, according to what I've read in Tea and Coffee Trade Journal and the Gourmet Retailer. The e-newsletter Specialty Food News writes daily about busi- nesses in the food industry that are building organics into their product mix. The biggest news is the imple- mentation on October 21 of the USDA's national organic standards for agricultural products. Consumers will now know the exact organic content of the food they buy.

Our customer base is drawn to our teas in part because most of the ingredients are organic. It's becoming clear that the more sophisticated, consumers are likely to choose organics over traditionally grown foods. As I see it, the higher prices for certified organic products as yet remain a barrier for the mainstream.

Finally, is your selling all done online, catalogue, retail venue? How important is your Web site to your business plan? ***We sell our tea several ways: Through resellers, through our catalog, through search engines directing like-minded consumers to our web site at www.herbalcafe.com. (We are not focusing on the web site as a major revenue stream in the near future.)

(Cont’d on page 15) VOL.10 ISSUE1 T EAB ITS PAGE 15

I. The waiter, Marcus Knupp, provided several two-minute egg timers along with our teas, so that tEAbITS Interview: The we could easily track different suggested steep times for the black, green and whites we had or- Herbal café (Cont’d from page14) dered. We immediately bombarded him with con- cerns as to getting it all exactly right and he I should mention that "AHG" after my name is re- laughed, saying, “don’t worry too much.” served only for those who have professional status in the American Herbalist Guild. Applicants for member- II. Each tea was served in its own individual ship are required to submit intensive papers on treat- porcelain pot, accompanied by a cup and saucer. ment protocols and advanced herbal therapeutic meth- The waiter had already spooned a portion of loose odologies. Their work is then reviewed and rated by a leaf into a bag and placed it into each pot. Once highly respected panel of experts. our tea had steeped, we simply lifted the bag from the pot, placing it into a little porcelain receptacle Thank you so much for including our story. designed for that purpose, then poured and drank. We found that the pots contained between 3 and 4 TeaBits wishes to thank Ms. Clemans for taking the servings of tea. time to offer our readers insight into her tea busi- ness. Best of luck to the Herbal Café! III. Teany has two filtered water sources with which to brew tea. Co-owner Kelly Tisdale men- tioned that, for greens and some others, a coffee machine spigot provides water between 175 and 178 degrees. For boiling water, Teany’s source is the spigot of a cappuccino maker.

Ms. Tisdale aquires tea from six distributors. The Teany Makes Tea inventory is stored in fairly small, airtight cannis- (Cont’d from page 4) ters along a wall of shelves. Asked if the neighborhood’s edgy trendiness offers a pool of panied our teas, and a spirit of sharing and experimen- avid specialty tea customers unavailable else- tation ensued as we tested various brew/food combos. where, she replied “If we had the shelf space in a We found, for example, the Russian Caravan’s rich- suburb I’d easily stock 200 teas.” In her opinion, ness held up nicely with a robust lentil and coconut cheaper rents outside the city could enable space soup. However, when asked if Teany steered custom- for a selection larger than Teany’s—and the cus- ers towards particular food and tea pairings, Teany co- tomers to drink it. She’s selling from the entire owner Kelly Tisdale replied with an emphatic No. range of the tea menu, not just a few well-known “That would get too complicated, like something peo- leaves. And customers are buying from the higher ple are doing in the South of France," she said. Ms. end, including teas going for upwards of $6.00 a Tisdale prefers people just come in, try anything and serving. In place of what she refers to as the too- everything on their own, and see what they like. The typical restaurant “stale tea crumb in a bag” often response is in keeping with an operational simplicity sold for $1.50, customers at Teany receive a full evident in every aspect of the business, from décor to pot of fresh, top-quality tea for, on average, $3.50. tea service. Here are a few more ideas for serving “It’s a great deal,” she said. She is adamant that high-quality, specialty tea in a restaurant: people are thirsty for fine tea, (Cont’d on page 16) V OLUME 10 I SSUE 1 P AGE 16

Teany Makes Tea The Real Race is For

The Year’s Best Teas (Cont’d from page 15)

(Cont’d fron page 13) and willing for pay for it.

Kelly Tisdale knew little about the tea business Lanka as the starting out. Talking with her, one hears an ea- model we will ger, fearless student, curious but unintimidated be approaching by the complexities of tea. The same can be said several other tea for Teany’s staff, who are knowledgeable but producing na- easy-going about what it takes to get so many tions in the next teas right. A guiding principle here seems to be few years and encouraging them to join this initia- that, after all, tea is to be enjoyed. Hard work tive. By expanding the innovative program glob- obviously goes into the day-to-day running of ally we will further expand the market, not only in the place, and Teany’s formula is the result of North America – but we are confident in many much thought and practice. Water temperature, other areas of the world as well! steep times, preparation—each has been simpli- fied so that patrons can order something totally Today I was advised that the Tea Board has for- new, knowing it will taste as it should. Friendly, mally approved a long-term program for Specialty prompt service, eclectic music, scuptures placed Tea promotion in conjunction with the Tea Asso- here and there, and the hum of conversation cre- ciation of the USA. Again, thank you for this hand ate an atmosphere you want to come back to. of friendship and confidence. Plans are underway for a retail side to the busi- Personally speaking – For your information – Sri ness, with an eye to supplying packaged “Teany Lanka you are way ahead of any other producing teas” in-house as well as to other shops. “I have country in the level of promotion and acknowl- chosen 25 out of the 95 teas, and have cannisters edgement of specialty tea. You have a tremendous and private labels made up,” said Ms. Tisdale. competitive advantage. I urge you to maintain this Online ordering through Teany’s Web site, edge and keep thinking outside the box as the rest www.teany.com, will come “soon.” Tea lovers of the world will be trying to catch up. should note that the Web site remins under con- struction at the moment, but those interested in Once again I would like to thank the Tea Board for Teany products online are encouraged to check inviting me to this major tea event as a representa- back in the coming months. tive of the Tea Association of the USA and on a personal level I would like to say that I am very Teany is located at 90 Rivington St., New proud to be part of this exciting new specialty tea York, NY. 212-475-9190. initiative – the future will be fun!