Specialty teas can be some of the highest-quality products, with each brand having its own distinct flavour and character. To manufacture these teas, you need careful attention at every stage of the process, from sourcing ingredients to blending the tea to the eventual shipping and marketing. Blue Ocean has the expertise to support you through every single one of these steps.
What are specialty teas?
Specialty tea is a designation generally given to loose leaf tea. It is not chopped as finely as the tea leaves used in standard teabags, which allows it to have a stronger, more intense flavour. Speciality teas are often single origin, coming from one specific estate, which allows each one to have its own distinctive character. Other times, multiple teas can be blended together in exciting new ways to keep consumers interested.
New product development
If you want to produce your own specialty tea, first you need to know what type of tea you want and how that fits with wider industry trends. Even the decision about whether you prefer black or green tea can be a big one. Your tea will represent your brand, and it will be what people imagine when they think of you, so you need to carefully plan before you start manufacturing.
Blue Ocean are experts in tea, so whatever ideas you have about your brand, we can help make them a reality. If you say you want it lightly spiced, we will identify the best combination of potential ingredients. Then, we use our own equipment to blend together some samples. Video conferencing allows us and you to taste the tea at the same time to consult on any further refinement necessary.
Building relationships
Part of the reason we can assist in the early stages of product development is because of the strong relationships we have built with suppliers. We know where to source the best-quality tea and other ingredients to go into your blend. Everything about our service is open and collaborative, from when we locate and import your ingredients to when we help you turn them into tea. You can set the direction, and we’ll help you in whatever way you require.
Equipment
When it comes to manufacturing, we have the equipment and expertise to produce not just samples during the development process, but also larger batches of tea for sale and consumption. This includes our frictionless blenders, machines for filling pouches and tins, and packaging materials including mesh tea bags. Developing your packaging is another important part of establishing your brand, and we can guide your design so it’s ready when your product finally hits the market.
Many steps are involved in developing high-quality specialty teas, and Blue Ocean has experience in every stage. We can be there for you from the original strategizing to when the product is packaged up and ready to launch, using all our knowledge and specialist equipment to ensure that the final tea is the perfect representation of your brand.