The effect of popularity on Artisan Teas.
Good and bad…all at the same time.
The growing interest in, and demand for tea has a complex effect on Artisan Teas.
On the positive side, the surge in interest in tea encourages production, development of the industry, and stimulates investment in the industry’s infrastructure.
The down-side, and prospective problem, is that bigger is not always better.
Along with higher production demands and larger companies focus on optimizing margins, something could easily get lost…some of the uniqueness of hand crafted teas and the nuances that result from their unique production techniques.
Trade-offs that are made seemingly as business production decisions can compromise subtleties in the tea, almost without noticing.
It is some of the home-grown techniques that may seem antiquated for today’s modern production world, but yet have an effect on the tea that gives it special character.
As more smaller growers and producers disappear and are replaced or pushed out by larger aggressive companies, there is a loss of tradition and technique.
At DGT we embrace the uniqueness of small growers and producers, and will continue to do our utmost to support them by bringing their teas to our tea community.
