virtually impossible to teach a blending course in a few hours or even a few days," Simrany says. "Because it is difficult to do it right, it doesn't mean that retailers don't try anyway. In that case, experimentation followed by taste-testing amongst their intended consumers is the best way to arrive at a signature tea that has any chance of being successful. The preferred method would be to seek the help of their suppliers in putting together specialty blends. They have a lot of experience doing it for many customers, and they will likely end up with a better blend by going that route." Smith also acknowledges that most retailers don't blend
their own teas because it is a complicated process that requires an investment in the proper equipment. However, Smith works with specialty retailers who are
interested in blending their own teas. "I can teach them how to blend in front of a customer if they want to. The place where we start this kind of thing is with Chai teas. For instance, someone may say, 'I want to have more than two Chai teas.' We have a blend called Chai Baby, which is a blend of spices, and then you can choose your base teas or herb to make Chai out of. They can open their shop and say, 'We can make just about any kind of Chai you want'—a white, a green, an herbal, a black—and we help them with recipes. We have a host of different things whereby we can sell them parts and they can blend it together and call it their own." Cramer says that the blending of ready-flavored teas is a
fairly easy task. "We even encourage our retail customers to dabble in this via our Signature Blends page on our website," Cramer says. "The difficult part is creating flavors that you would then be combining to produce complex blends. This requires specialized equipment and considerable expertise." That being said, Cramer encourages retailers to experiment
in blending teas, and would not presume to call any combination a mistake. "The problems arise when retailers blend teas that are less-than-fresh or have been carelessly stored," Cramer says. "No matter how you mix them, the result will not be good." Specialty retailers who offer blended teas need to rotate
their teas and ensure that the vessels housing these blended teas are clean. "Even your flavorings and your scents can go bad," Smith says. "Use airtight vessels stored in dry dark areas. I also recommend, when you are trying something new, make sure to order it a small quantity and actually try it, to make sure it is good." Retailers who are eager to educate consumers about tea
blends should heed Cramer's advice. "The best education is a well-made cup of tea," Cramer says. "The descriptions and photos enhance the experience, but can't substitute for the sensory experience of inhaling and tasting a great cup of tea." SCR
Custom blends can yield a unique product for little
additional money. Photo courtesy of TeaSource
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