Working With Tea

Your business' guide to storing, brewing and serving a splendid cup of tea

Coffee may be considered an essential part of the American diet, but tea is a treasured pleasantry in our hectic, go-go-go world. If you want to create a relaxed, luxurious or upscale feel in your restaurant or other food business, tea is a must. But to ensure you always please your customers, you must take care when working with tea.

Naturally, you'll want to buy quality tea products wholesale. Your tea distributor should offer a variety of types of tea with a freshness guarantee. But once your tea distributors supply you with quality teas, it's your job to ensure your customers are served tea worth coming back for. For example, consider the following:

1. What is the best way to store types of loose tea or tea bags to maintain their quality?

2. How can you improve your rates of selling tea by learning to brew it properly?

3. Should you consider special ways to offer tea to your customers?

 

Learn how to best store wholesale tea and products

Even the finest teas will quickly become disappointing if you don't store them properly. First, make sure to store it in an airtight container at a consistent temperature, away from light, strong odors and moisture. When buying in bulk, keep most of the tea in a large container, and use a smaller container for a day or two's supply of the tea.
Try: For a simple and good explanation of how to store loose-leaf tea or tea bags (and why you should store them that way), see Upton Tea Imports. The Stash Tea Company also offers an interesting article on how to properly store teas.

Improve your tea selling rates by brewing the best cup in town

In the United States, not everyone is familiar with how to brew loose-leaf tea. But making a delicious, perfect cup of tea will greatly improve your chances of getting customers to come back for more.
Try: For an excellent guide to brewing loose-leaf tea, see The Fragrant Leaf. Be sure to also check out their guides for brewing green and iced tea, found in links at the bottom of the article. For information on the best way to brew tea in bags, see Empire Tea Services.

Bring customers back by hosting afternoon, speciality teas

Are you wanting to add an elegant touch to your food business' service? Try hosting afternoon tea. Serve tea in ceramic (not metal) pots, use pretty china, serve delicate food and host the serving between 3:30 and 5 pm. It's an easy, inexpensive way to impress your customers and bring them back again and again.
Try: BrendaCoulter.com and Eras of Elegance both offer great advice about hosting a traditional afternoon tea. The Tea Association of Canada provides tips on offering tea combined with other things. For example, they have a recipe for tea smoothies and smoked quails made with black tea.

 

• If you wish to serve a perfectly traditional tea service, be sure to use the proper serving pieces. This includes: teapot, creamer, sugar, cookie plates and cake plates.

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