Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491356
STiR tea & coffee industry international 39 Catapult RB14.01 Kevin Gascoyne, one of four owner-managers of Montreal-based specialty tea company Camellia Sinensis, highlights other factors; "The Canadian Specialty Tea in- dustry has taken off at such a rate in recent years due to a combination of factors. Firstly comes the advantage of Canada's existing tea habit, a legacy of the colonial Brits. Secondly, and more universal, is the exciting rebirth of 'real food' which has us all upgrading our shopping lists with finer olive oils, cheeses, spices, etc. and our basic attitudes toward food and drink has changed dramatically in the space of a decade or two. As a product that carries such great stories of artisanal manufacture in exotic lands, tea's vast diversity of natural flavor profiles fits nicely into this scenario." Grant Kuebler, managing director of Murchies, the well-established tea company with more than 100 years of history in Canada, says "We don't really see the current market trend as a boom, but rather as an inevitable reassertion of tea. People are re- turning to a beverage that has strong traditions and nostalgia, but they're also learning about the amazing variety of tea options and flavors beyond the typical orange pekoe." Market Growth More than half of Canadians (54%) drink tea weekly. Women (60%) are more likely to have at least one cup per week compared to men 40%. The average among tea drinkers is 8.3 cups per week with 32% taking 10 or more cups week. Together they drink 9.7 billion cups of tea a year. Ten years ago Canada's Agriculture and Agri-Food department predicted that tea consumption would rise by 40% by 2020. In 2012, market research firm Euromonitor International, recorded that volume sales of tea were up 0.2% to 13,800 metric tons, and that retail sales had increased by 3% to reach a total value of $517 million. By 2017, sales are expected to have grown at a steady 2% to reach a value of $564 million. New stores are opening across the country, online tea businesses are growing fast, annual tea festivals attract thousands of eager consumers, tea sommelier courses in adult edu- cation colleges are recruiting a steady stream of tea amateurs and professionals, and it seems that tea is Canada's new passion. The Tea and Health Message Since the program of research into the health benefits of tea began in the 1990s, and with the encouraging results that have been made public since then, tea consumption has shown an encouragingly steady growth. Roberge commented that, "As recently as 2002-2003, we didn't even measure green tea and flavored green consumption. Now, we analyze what people are drinking and how big a part the health message plays in consumer choices." Kevin Gascoyne agrees: "Tea being so extremely good for our daily well-being and long term health, a 5000 year human habit is hard to argue with. And consumers are bombarded daily by a constant media flow of Tea and Health information."