THE LATIN CONNECTION
The advantages of Finlays’ integrated tea extract network in the Americas.
Words: Ryan Collins
Illustration: John Deaville
WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEA BEVERAGE? HOT, ICED, BLACK, GREEN, HERBAL, DAIRY, BOBA? WITH SO MANY OPTIONS IT IS DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE ONE SINGLE ANSWER. EVERY CULTURE, REGION AND INDIVIDUAL HAVE THEIR OWN UNIQUE TEA TASTES AND PREFERENCES.
In the US, one choice has risen to the forefront: iced black tea. In fact, 80% of tea consumed in America is iced tea*. In the US, ready-to-drink tea manufacturers fulfill consumer demand for a clear and mild-flavoured black tea by using tea extracts that are stable in beverage applications and pair well with flavours.
To achieve this at Finlays Americas, we look south – down towards our Argentine tea farming business, Casa Fuentes. Argentine tea is a standout performer when it comes to achieving the clarity and flavour profile needed for a range of iced tea applications for the US market.
But did you know that between Argentina and the US, our tea extracts make a detour via another South American country? Through our strategic partnership with Tresmontes S.A. in Casablanca, Chile, we turn Argentine leaf into the tea extracts consumers across North America enjoy every day.
Here’s how we do it:
The high summer temperatures and abundant rainfall in Misiones create fantastic conditions for tea growing. Tea can be harvested mechanically, driving efficiency, before the harvested tea undergoes withering, crushing, fermentation and heating to produce black tea.
Casa Fuentes harvests leaf six months a year, November-May, and then ships material over 2,200 km into Chile. During peak season the tea is trucked through snow covered mountains which can be treacherous and sometimes impassable.
When the leaf finally arrives in Casablanca, Tresmontes processes it into concentrated tea solids. By concentrating the soluble tea solids from the leaf, shipping volumes are drastically reduced by up to 90% when compared to shipping whole leaf tea destined for direct leaf extraction.
The journey from Tresmontes to the port of New Jersey is just over 5,000 nautical miles, travelling through the Panama Canal. This journey is more efficient when compared to distances from other global tea producing regions, which typically pass through the Suez Canal.
The tea extracts arrive at the Port of New Jersey where containers are unloaded and shipped to our local warehouse in New Jersey, ready to be used to create some of the leading tea beverages in the Americas and fulfill customers orders.
The Finlays-Tresmontes partnership offers our customers many advantages. It offers brand owners their desired flavour profile, great clarity, cost-efficient processing and supply chains, along with advantages over tariffs into the Americas and a sustainable shipping footprint, by shipping tea solids instead of leaf tea.
At Finlays, we always strive to bring our customers the best from Bush to Beverage and the Finlays-Tresmontes partnership is a great example of that in action.
Ryan Collins is Tea Marketing Manager at Finlays Americas
* US Tea Association
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