Tea has become a staple in modern cafe culture, capturing the attention of customers seeking alternatives to coffee. With a growing interest in health, flavour exploration, and sustainability, cafes are elevating their beverage menus by introducing a broader range of tea options.
Hospitality professionals are curating high-quality, wellness-focused offerings that enhance the overall guest experience. In this article, we explore the types of tea most popular in cafes, how to craft an exceptional tea menu, and what boutique brands like Serenitea and Mad Hatter Tea Co bring to the table.
Understanding the Modern Tea Customer
The success of a cafe tea program starts with knowing your customer. Tea drinkers come from diverse backgrounds and seek unique value in every cup. Understanding what motivates them can help businesses curate the right types of tea to serve.
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Key Trends Driving Tea Demand
One of the biggest drivers in tea consumption is the focus on wellness. Consumers are increasingly turning to types of teas and their benefits, such as calming herbal infusions or energising green teas, to support their health goals.
Another trend is the desire for variety and customisation. Customers appreciate being able to choose between caffeinated and caffeine-free tea varieties, or experimenting with loose-leaf blends and flavour combinations. Many also seek sustainable and ethically sourced teas, adding depth to the purchasing experience.
Lastly, presentation matters. Customers are drawn to artisanal aesthetics and storytelling that add meaning to their beverage choices. This creates an opportunity to use tea as a tool for connection and branding.
Most Popular Types of Tea in Cafés Today
Modern cafes are offering a diverse mix of different types of tea to meet evolving customer preferences. From timeless classics to wellness blends, here are the leading categories on cafe menus.
Black Tea
A strong, full-bodied classic, black tea continues to hold its place in cafes due to its versatility and bold flavour. It’s often served with milk, honey, or lemon, and forms the base of popular drinks like chai lattes.
Favourites include Serenitea Earl Grey Loose Leaf and Mad Hatter Tea Co Earl Grey Loose Leaf, both known for their rich aroma and citrusy bergamot notes. These are essential options when building a tea variety that appeals to traditional tea lovers.
Green Tea
Green tea is highly regarded for its light, grassy flavour and significant health benefits. Known for being rich in antioxidants, it appeals to wellness-focused guests.
Top-selling blends like Mad Hatter Tea Co Sencha Green Loose Leaf and Serenitea Darjeeling Green Loose Leaf are sought after for their refreshing taste and calming effects. Including green tea in your lineup showcases the diversity within types of tea and signals a health-conscious approach.
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Herbal Tisanes
Herbal tisanes are caffeine-free infusions made from herbs, flowers, and spices. These kinds of tea are ideal for evening menus or guests avoiding caffeine.
Popular selections include Serenitea Chamomile Herbal Loose Leaf for relaxation and Serenitea Peppermint Herbal Loose Leaf, known for its digestive benefits. These blends demonstrate how types of teas and their benefits can be customised to suit different times of day and customer needs.
Chai and Spiced Blends
Spiced blends like chai are gaining traction in cafes for their warming, comforting flavour. Typically made with a mix of black tea and spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, they offer a sensory experience.
Serenitea Spice Chai is a standout blend, offering depth and aroma in every sip. Adding these types of tea helps cafes cater to customers looking for rich, flavorful alternatives to traditional drinks.
Fusion and Functional Teas
Functional teas that blend ingredients like lemongrass, ginger, and turmeric are becoming increasingly popular. These different types of tea combine taste with purpose, offering benefits like improved digestion or immune support.
Top picks in this category include Serenitea Lemongrass & Ginger Loose Leaf and Mad Hatter Tea Co Lemongrass & Ginger Loose Leaf, both of which embody the growing demand for types of teas and their benefits that go beyond taste.
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The Role of Boutique Brands in Tea Innovation
Boutique tea brands are redefining what customers expect from their tea experience. Focusing on quality, ethical sourcing, and creativity, brands like Serenitea and Mad Hatter Tea Co. are raising the bar for what cafes can offer.
Serenitea: Artisanal and Wellness-Focused
Serenitea stands out for its focus on crafting wellness-oriented blends using high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients. Their teas are both functional and flavorful, making them a favourite for cafes seeking to align with health-conscious trends.
- Serenitea Earl Grey Loose Leaf – A fragrant and full-bodied black tea with a citrusy twist from bergamot, ideal for a classic yet elevated tea offering.
- Serenitea Chamomile Herbal Loose Leaf – A calming, floral infusion known for its soothing properties, perfect for relaxing late-day service.
- Serenitea Peppermint Herbal Loose Leaf – Crisp and refreshing with a cooling finish, this caffeine-free tea supports digestion and is a customer favourite.
- Serenitea Lemongrass & Ginger Loose Leaf – Bright and revitalising, this functional blend is popular for its wellness benefits and invigorating taste.
Mad Hatter Tea Co: Bold and Balanced
Known for their innovative spirit, Mad Hatter Tea Co. offers blends that balance quality with playfulness. They provide premium loose-leaf teas with a creative twist, making them perfect for cafes that want to offer something different.
- Mad Hatter Tea Co Sencha Green Loose Leaf – A vibrant and refreshing green tea with subtle umami notes, perfect for health-conscious guests seeking clarity and calm.
- Mad Hatter Tea Co Earl Grey Loose Leaf – A classic black tea with bright citrusy bergamot, ideal for those who love bold, traditional flavours.
- Mad Hatter Tea Co Peppermint Loose Leaf – Cooling and caffeine-free, this peppermint blend is soothing and excellent for digestion.
- Mad Hatter Tea Co Lemongrass & Ginger Loose Leaf – A zesty and invigorating infusion that blends citrus and spice, popular for its wellness benefits and energising aroma.
Blending, Customisation & Creating Signature Tea Experiences
Creating a memorable tea program goes beyond listing products on a menu. Offering customised blends and signature experiences can set your cafe apart and encourage customer loyalty.
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Curating Signature Blends
Start with a high-quality loose-leaf base from Serenitea or Mad Hatter Tea Co. and layer in complementary herbs, fruits, or spices. Creating house blends like “Mindful Mornings” with energising green teas or “Evening Calm” with chamomile and mint can drive interest.
These customised kinds of tea allow you to highlight local flavours, seasonal ingredients, or even collaborate with local artisans. Offering this level of personalisation demonstrates a commitment to crafting meaningful experiences around the types of tea you serve.
Tips to Make a Tea Menu for Your Cafe
An effective tea menu is one that is simple, well-curated, and customer-friendly. These tips will help you build a tea list that’s both attractive and easy to navigate.
1. Keep It Simple
Avoid overwhelming guests with too many choices. Instead, offer a focused list of high-quality tea varieties organised by category or benefit, such as Energising, Relaxing, or Classic.
This clarity improves the guest experience and makes it easier for staff to guide customers toward the best types of tea for their preferences.
2. Create an Experience
Enhance presentation with elegant glass teapots, tea timers, or tableside service. Consider including menus that describe the origin, flavour notes, and benefits of each tea variety.
Incorporating storytelling into your tea service invites guests to connect more deeply with the types of teas and their benefits you provide.
3. Make It Interesting
Rotate your menu to include seasonal blends, limited-time offers, or a “Tea of the Month.” This creates an incentive for repeat visits and keeps the menu fresh.
Highlight featured options like Serenitea Peppermint Herbal Loose Leaf or Mad Hatter Lemongrass & Ginger Loose Leaf to draw attention to customer favourites within your tea variety selection.
Presentation and Education for Staff and Guests
Delivering a great tea experience depends on the product, presentation, and knowledge. Educated staff and interactive displays enhance your types of tea program.
Staff Training
Train staff on how to brew different types of tea correctly, including ideal water temperatures, steeping times, and suggested pairings. Encourage them to offer tailored suggestions that reflect the guest’s mood or preferences.
When staff understand the types of teas and their benefits, they become valuable ambassadors for your tea menu.
Guest-Facing Displays
Let guests see and smell the loose-leaf teas before they choose. Use labelled jars, sample trays, or tea pairing boards to make the experience tactile and memorable.
These kinds of interactions add value and help highlight the quality of your chosen tea varieties, boosting customer confidence and interest.
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Future Tea Trends in Hospitality
As the tea market evolves, staying ahead of the curve can set your cafe apart. Future trends point toward innovation, wellness, and collaboration.
Expect to see more adaptogenic ingredients like ashwagandha or reishi mushrooms added to types of tea for enhanced functional benefits. Cold brew and sparkling teas are also gaining popularity for their refreshing appeal.
Partnering with boutique suppliers like Serenitea and Mad Hatter Tea Co for exclusive blends or co-branded offerings helps your cafe tap into the next wave of tea variety innovation.
How We at Bean Around Town Support Your Cafe’s Tea Program
At Bean Around Town, we support over 600 cafes across Melbourne and Regional Victoria with specialty coffee and top-tier tea programs. We make it easy to access the best types of tea for your menu.
Your One-Stop Supplier
With over 1,400 products, including different types of tea, packaging, milk alternatives, and cleaning supplies, we streamline your ordering process. Stock up on essentials like Serenitea Earl Grey Loose Leaf or Mad Hatter Tea Co Sencha Green Loose Leaf in one place.
Reliable Local Delivery
We offer free weekly delivery to over 190 suburbs for orders over $100. Our mission is to make your operations easier, allowing you to concentrate on providing the best teas and other amazing products that your customers adore.
Conclusion
A thoughtful tea program adds value to your cafe by enhancing the guest experience, diversifying your offerings, and aligning with today’s wellness and sustainability trends. From classic black and green teas to delightful herbal tisanes, spiced blends, and functional infusions, offering a curated selection of different types of tea helps meet a wide range of customer preferences and needs.
Boutique brands like Serenitea and Mad Hatter Tea Co bring innovation, ethical sourcing, and superior flavour to your menu, supporting a strong brand identity and deeper guest engagement. Combine this with creative house blends, knowledgeable staff, and engaging presentation to build a tea program that stands out.
Ready to elevate your cafe’s tea experience? Connect with Bean Around Town for premium tea supply, dependable delivery, and the tools you need to serve your community the very best.
