Naivas and Kenya Tea Packers (Ketepa) have partnered to drive up tea consumption by marking the inaugural Kenya Tea Month.
The Kenya Tea Month, scheduled to run for the whole of August every year, will herald the beginning of an appreciation journey designed to double tea intake by Kenyans by taking people from the original black tea to the very latest specialty varieties and collector editions.
Speaking during the official commencement of the specialty commemoration, Naivas Chief Commercial Officer Willy Kimani said that the two firms had decided to bring together the best of both worlds and strong indigenous brands to raise awareness and endear Kenyans to tea with a view to at least doubling their tea consumption.
Data from the Tea Directorate of the Agriculture and Foods Authority shows that Kenyans consume only 5 percent of the total tea produced in the country.
The tea month is an opportunity for tea consumers to taste the new innovations and engage tea experts on preparing a good cup of tea, as well as getting insights from about tea and health.
“Shopping trends indicate that the younger generation especially, are looking for new innovations in tea,” said Kimani.
He added that theme for the month will be “Its tea time” signaling a move by Naivas and Ketepa to reposition tea as a celebratory drink as opposed to traditional breakfast drink.
“We believe that this way, local tea consumption will move to 10 per cent of total production,” he added.
During the Tea Month, Kenyans will gain knowledge on the healthy benefits of tea, methods of preparing various types of tea and how to benefit from its health attributes. At the same time, the two partners will be rewarding their valued customers with very attractive discounts and offers.
Ketepa Managing Director Albert Otochi noted that tea’s healthy nature has generally been underrated yet it is the second most consumed globally after water.
“We have innovated tea over the years to keep up with divergent tastes and lifestyles, and today have more than 20 varieties, flavors and infusions,” said Otochi.
These innovative flavors include the wellness range of herbal infusions and the specialty range that covers purple tea, white tea and orthodox tea.
The Tea Month includes a number of interactive sessions where renowned tea barristers are expected to make several demonstration sessions covering skills such as tea brewing and tasting for the younger population.
“We are targeting all segments of consumers, though the young discerning market are keen to explore and fit tea into their lifestyle,” said Otochi.
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At the launch, Dr Simon Ochanda, a researcher at the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya made a very insightful presentation on the health benefits consumers can derive from taking different types of tea.
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