Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491365
STiR tea & coffee industry international 17 www.haelssen-lyon.com T h e w o r l d o f t e a u n d e r o n e r o o f When is a tongue a tongue? It takes at least seven years and about a million cups of tea to become a professional tea taster, also called a "tongue." For us at Hälssen & Lyon the high quality and the development of tea are a lifetime's work achieved by many generations. So it's no wonder that we will also ensure the maintenance and growth of tea culture in the future. Here you find ingenious tea tasters. And the guys who educated them. L_AZ_teacups_89x254_v2_300.indd 1 19.12.12 10:56 To prepare any of these for tasting, the brewing area is equipped with tap water set at 80° C (176° F). This may not be 100% perfect but it does inflict less harm on the more delicate green and white leaves than boiling water would and, by using the Tea Maker brewing pot with its valve mechanism that allows the brewed liquor to flow through into a serving pot or cup, steeping times are controlled in order to get the best from every variety. As the company claims, visiting T2 is "an experience where exploration and theater are encouraged and curiosity is rewarded. Customers are invited to discover the ceremony of tea: to touch, smell and taste; to be engaged in the moment and be taken on a new journey every time they visit the store." When Maryanne Shearer opened the first T2 in her native Australia, she drew on her talent and professional experience of fashion and interior design to create an innovative tea retail experience that filled a gap at a time when the coffee scene was booming. Unilever believes that, although sales of coffee in the UK outpaced tea over the past five years, the specialty, 'super-premium' end of the market is growing steadily. Sales of luxury and super-premium teas are growing annually at 12 to 14%, according to Euromonitor. The store "reminds me of Fitzroy where we opened our very first store in Australia in the 90s," said Shearer. "It's long been a dream to take T2 to the world's most avid and sophisti- cated tea drinkers, so we're excited to finally be in London, and we look forward to introducing Londoners to the way we do tea." T2 operates 40 stores in Australia and reported $54 million in sales for 2013. "We recognize retail is becoming an increasingly important channel for consumers looking for exciting, adventurous new tea experiences, with T2 perfectly complementing our current offering," said Kevin Havelock, president of Unilever's Refreshment Category. He told Reuters "I see no long-term limits on the potential for T2. We actually don't believe that there are any highly developed cities in the world that would not be a good environment for T2." There are plans to roll out more stores in the UK, first in London and then elsewhere. If the response is as positive and eager as at the Shoreditch venue, T2 has a bright future in the UK. T2 is at 48-50 Redchurch St., Shoreditch, London. Learn more: www.t2tea.com