2022 TRENDSETTERS
Higher Living Tea
Founder & CEO Keith Garden Top trend : Organic
How important is traceability and sustainability now , when it comes to tea , and how is Higher Living Tea managing this ? We have full traceability through all of our blends and it ' s something we take very seriously – our teas are produced in the world ' s first carbon-neutral factory and we are embarking on further sustainability projects , all the way down to estate level , to further improve the impact we have on the planet and local growers , and the workers and families involved . From January 2022 , we have agreed to a 1 per cent initiative for the planet on all products and brands we own . [ Along with other companies ], we commit to donate 1 per cent of all our worldwide sales to a variety of charitable causes .
Why did you make the decision to exclude black tea from the range in Australia ? Ten years ago we saw that the market globally was beginning to change , but the products on Australian shelves in the mainstream market were quite behind in their offering . We saw an opportunity to be a leader in offering a range of infusion teas to market and jumped at the chance , which has paid dividends and created long term loyal Higher Living customers across Australia .
Are infusion teas becoming more popular in Australia ? Any particular reason why ? Yes , we are seeing infusion becoming more popular in Australia , more so than in many other countries we stock . The local market has responded extremely well to our launch of new flavours , and values Higher Living ' s benefits of being caffeine free and organic . We have seen the Australian market ' s tastes change and younger consumers are looking for variety and quality .
What are the top trends in tea for 2022 ? We predict Organic will continue to rise , as consumers are interested in provenance and clean food . There has been an increase in teas with benefits – especially teas that can promote good sleep and help with stress , as well as being caffeine free . We also predict a continued rise in popularity of organic rooibos , a naturally caffeine-free alternative to tea and coffee .