Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/612330
16 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 6, 2015 (December/January) Tea Report: Jane Pettigrew CANADA DAVIDsTEA on Air Canada DavidsTea is expanding into new channels, beginning with Air Canada. The airline will feature the Forever Nuts and Cream of Earl Grey sachets, served in DavidsTea's teal 10oz cups on selec flights of 90 minutes or more on domestic Canada and US trans-border routes. The company recently opened six new stores including the new Mall of America store in Bloomington; Del Amo Fashion Center in Southern California; Water Tower Place in the Chicago region; Kildonan Place in Winnipeg; St. Laurent Centre in Ottawa; and Regent Mall in Fredericton. Sylvain Toutant, president and c.e.o. said "With this launch, we believe there is an opportunity to increase our brand visibility through further development of our omni-channel strategy in North America, with a focus on the hotel, restaurants and institutions sector." Learn more: www.davidstea.com Czech Republic Oxalis Store Makeover Czech Republic tea wholesaler and blender Oxalis employed an interior designer to modernize its newest shops with a minimalist 'zen' concept. Flagship outlets in SmÃchov and Chodov are now fitted out in the new style, as is the new shop in Aupark Shopping Centre in Bratislava. Oxalis has 50 outlets. Half are run directly by the company in the Czech Republic, with another four located in Slovakia - all situated in large shopping malls in major cities. The rest are franchise stores. The firm reports that customers like the clean, crisp lines and clarity of space. Also new are large tin caddies used to store loose leaf teas instead of the company's signature glass display jars. Flavored teas are still sold from glass jars so that the attractive flower petals, dried fruits, etc. in the blends are more visible to customers. INDIA Specialty Teas from Kangra The Dharmsala Tea Company owns three tea gardens, Hoodle, Towa, and Mann Tea Estates, in India's northern region of Kangra - and has been handcrafting premium teas there since 1882. Today the company also makes green, white, and hand-rolled oolong teas, spice-flavored teas and teas mingled with rose petals and saffron. With tea gardens set in the Himalayas at an altitude of 4,000 to 6,500 ft., the quality and flavor of the different teas are unique. Dharmsala also creates innova- tive blends for individual customers. "We grow our own roses here in the Himalayas, and use the best Kashmiri saffron for our saffron teas," explains Anirudh Suri. "We have also launched a consumer facing website and are selling teas directly to consumers across the world." The company plans to build a cafe in Dharmsala, set in the Dholadhar mountain range, overlooking the tea estates. Learn more:www.dharmsalateacompany.in GUATEMALA Bubble Tea Success After discovering bubble tea while traveling through Asia, two young Guatemalan entrepreneurs decided to create Bubble Ice Tea SA, Guatemala's first bubble tea venture. The drink invented in the mid-1980s at Chun Shul Tang teahouse in Taichung, Taiwan, is today internationally popular, but has only recently arrived in Central America. Once they realized the business potential, the Guatemalan pioneers returned to Taiwan to learn how to make bubble tea in the original way, and now sell their extensive range of blends from kiosks in shopping malls in Guatemala City. The menu includes authentic Taiwanese bubble tea, smoothies, and milkshakes based on black, green, and dark teas, all 100% natural. Specialties include te verde matcha cremoso, green applecream, green dragon, jasmine green, and lychee green all sweetened with brown sugar. Custom- ers can choose the type of tea, the flavor of the bubbles added to the tea, the sugar level, and type of milk (whole, skimmed or lactose free). Learn more: www.bubbleicetea.com Chai Chains Expand With rising incomes, smart new tea houses are popping up all over India's large cities, and chai, India's traditional milky spiced black tea, is feature large on the menu. Per capita consumption in India is lower (1.8 lb. per person), than in other countries such as the UK (4.4 lb. per person) and Sri Lanka (2.2 lb. per person). Chai for the masses Oxalis: Czech makeover Mountainous Kangra