TWININGS FOODSERVICE - Teaming Food & Beverages

Generate incremental sales by teaming Speciality Teas and Infusions with food

Not only do premium teas offer a strong profit opportunity, they also offer an opportunity for incremental sales.
By trading customers up to add a snack, cake or sandwich to their tea, operators can raise the value of each transaction and build additional profit into each sale.
This can be done quite simply by teaming beverages with suitable accompaniments, such as Infusions with a low fat muffin or Assam Tea with a premium sandwich or Panini, communicated via effective displays, snack or meal deals and point of sale.
You can also offer different offers throughout the day for breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon and evening, varying the teas and accompaniments to move customers around the range you serve and encourage them to try something different.

Stephen Twining, the tenth generation from the Twining family, has the following recommendations:

Pure Assam is a malty pungent, strong tea so it goes well with savoury sandwiches and fruitcake.

Pure Ceylon is light and of medium strength and because it goes so well with lemon it is perfect with lemon flavoured sponge cakes, soufflé, white fish, lobster or crab.

Pure Darjeeling is a light mellow tea and a perfect match with tuna fish sandwiches, grilled fish, and curry dishes. Also good with cream cheese.

Traditional English is a bright, brisk tea ideal served with bacon and eggs, crumpets and meringues.

Lapsang Souchong goes well with smoked salmon, chicken, cucumber sandwiches and scones.

In this way you can offer the customer a complete experience showing your knowledge of teas in the same way that quality restaurants may recommend specific wines for dishes. Again this can help create a real point of difference for your outlet, attracting new consumers and driving sales of tea.

For more tips, from tasting expert Oz Clarke click here