Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491356
64 STiR tea & coffee industry international Field of flowering echinacea, commonly used in herbal beverages. Her product began as water infused only with herbs and spices. She balanced the traditional such as cinnamon orange peel and lemon ginger with the more unusual like cloves-cardamom-cinna- mon and has both a still water line and a sparkling water line. Within one year of her 2007 launch she had achieved national distribution. Ayala's recently added an herbal tea line as well with rooibos, pep- permint, and chamomile. "What's special about herbs," says Cahana, "is that they are full of aroma and flavor and are vir- tually calorie free. You can take the whole thing and make an extract. The flavor delivers on your expectations." Heather Howell is chief tea officer of Rooi- bee Red Tea, a company specializing in bottled rooibos. She also came to herbals from the health world. As an executive at a health insurance com- pany and she found herself very involved with wellness. When the opportunity came to make the move to lead Rooibee Red she jumped. The com- pany has seen rapid business growth. "People want something healthier. We've been targeting the conventional routes, because even the mainstream shoppers who don't go to places like Whole Foods are looking for healthy options," said Howell. While Howell is quick to talk about the ben- efits of drinking rooibos, she is also aware that fla- vor is critical because without it, customers don't buy again. Howell feels Rooibos is an important niche, one that is growing and will become more competitive. Honeybush is another South African plant gaining favor. In 2013 Canadian-based Honey- bush Health Herbal Tea launched a bottled drink made from this legume. Like Cahana's story, co- founder Alister Frayne was a physician in Canada who had been tracking the increase in diabetes and was impressed that honeybush could be a sugar- free, caffeine-free beverage that provides antioxi- dants, and even fewer tannins than rooibos. While the bottled beverage is a groundbreaker, the com- pany also offers loose leaf honeybush. The com- pany will begin distributing across all of Canada in March. Manufacturers are mindful that the percentage of the general public who indicated they are will- ing to pay a premium for environmentally-friendly products has doubled since 2012. "Many consum- ers feel a strong connection between personal and planetary health, and they see this link everyday from the foods they eat to the cars they drive," ac- cording to the Natural Marketing Institute. German herbal supplier Worlée NaturProduk- te has offered dehydrated fruits, spices, herbs and tea since 1851. In 1999 the company founded an organic division that has since expanded to 450 products. "Due to exclusive cooperative agree- ments with partners in the countries of origin, the company has created sustainable structures, which guarantee high quality at a constant level," accord- ing to spokesman Ralf Stuedemann. "In addition more and more fruits, herbs, teas and spices are distinguished with the fairtrade-certificate that ensures a fair income for farmers of the Third World," he said. Packaged Herbals Bottles are not the only place where herbals are growing in popularity. Metropolitan Tea offers herbals from nearly every continent. In addi- tion to individual herbs and tea/herb blends, Q Trade Teas & Herbs supplies a line of "functional herbs." In 2009, Bigelow Tea staked their claim in this category with the Bigelow Herb Plus line. Ac- cording to a press release, they were aiming to ap- peal to health conscious consumers by fortifying traditional herbals with vitamins, minerals and bo- tanicals with specific health benefits. Once again, herbs like ginger and ginseng make an appearance in these blends. Runa, a company selling another South Ameri- can herbal, guayusa, sees the value of offering bot- tled products as well as packaged loose leaf. "We want guayusa to be accessible to as many people as possible," says marketing coordinator Corey Scult. "Some people like brewing their own, while oth- ers prefer to grab a bottle or can. The diverse line of products allows people to get their guayusa in whatever form is useful and effective for them." Most producers believe this is only the begin- ning. "I always thought there was a gap in the mar- ket," says Cahana. "The beverage shelves are full but there's little for people looking for a healthy drink that meets their desires. The whole market is reaching a tipping point as soda and sugary drinks are gradually being pushed away."