A Challenge for Café Owners & Operators.
As a passionate advocate for both loose leaf tea and the vibrant café culture, I find it intriguing and a bit baffling how we perceive the value of the drinks on the menu. Why is it that a standard teabag offering is average priced at around £2.10, whilst a proper serve of loose leaf tea, with its depth of character and the ritual that comes with the experience, is not valued on par with a latte?
Tea isn’t just tea anymore; customers now expect more and demand better experiences. If it meets their expectations, they’ll gladly pay extra and come back for more.
Loose leaf tea offers flavours and aromas that rival any expertly crafted coffee. Yet, many café owners hesitate to price it comparably. Let's consider the overheads: water, energy, wages - these are constant across all drinks, whether it's tea, coffee, or any other drink. So, why the disparity in pricing?
I challenge owners and operators to rethink how we price and present loose leaf tea.
Tea is often neglected on the menu after all the careful consideration given to coffee and food menu. Let's elevate it to its rightful place! After all, the overheads and effort we put into every cup are the same. It’s time to give tea the recognition and value it deserves.
Let me know your thoughts on this.
How can we bridge the gap in perceived value between tea and coffee in our cafés? What are the hurdles? Would you serve Instant Coffee?
Oscar.
