There may be some disagreement about what qualifies as a speciality tea, but it generally refers to the most high-quality loose-leaf varieties. This means a careful process of choosing and picking the leaves to blend in your final product. It also means you need the best equipment and most professional expertise for the tea blending process.
What are speciality teas?
When you buy a box of standard teabags from a supermarket, they usually contain tea leaves that have been chopped into the smallest, finest pieces. Even if they are made from the best plants, this preparation process to squash them into the bag can cause a lot of the original flavour to be lost. Speciality teas are usually loose-leaf, with the whole leaf placed in an infuser or similar to enable the maximum flavour to be released during the brewing process.
Speciality tea will often come from a single estate, perhaps with organic or Fairtrade labels to further distinguish it. This enables it to establish a definite brand and develop a strong reputation attached to its distinct flavour profile. Sometimes different types of tea can be blended together in new and exciting combinations.
What is tea blending?
Tea blending is when different teas are combined in a careful balance. The final product should highlight the character and flavour of its different parts and every batch should taste the same as the previous one, despite changing circumstances such as differences between the winter and summer crop. Spices, herbs, fruit and other flavourings will sometimes be added.
At its most basic, tea blending can be achieved by tipping your preferred ingredients into a bowl and crushing them together. On a more industrial scale, large factories can use machines to do much of the work; however, this can only be done if they are staffed by experts who understand tea and how to make the most of every flavour and blend. If you want to produce a significant amount of speciality tea, a speciality tea blender becomes essential.
How do speciality tea blenders work?
Frictionless electronic blenders of varying sizes can facilitate the production of both large and small batches of tea in the most efficient way. The tea can then be transferred straight to the packing and shipping stage. Expert providers such as Blue Ocean Tea can oversee every stage of the process in consultation with the customer, ensuring consistency. Speciality tea blenders can produce 250 MT of blended speciality tea every year, meeting all manufacturing requirements. A good speciality tea blender will come with full quality assurance and certification.
If you want to produce the highest quality speciality tea, you need not only the best quality tea leaves but also the equipment and expertise to ensure it is blended to your exact specifications. Not only will this improve the flavour but also it is a more efficient way to establish your brand, making it quicker and easier to distribute your tea to your potential customers.