A 2024 Reflection & Tea Trends 2025

As 2024 draws to a close, we take a moment with our founders Markus and Marina to reflect on what we’ve achieved, with an eye to the future and what’s to come in the tea industry with a nod to tea trends 2025. It’s an exciting, demanding and truly fulfilling time and we thank each and every one of you for joining us on the journey to really achieve our mission in ‘The Advance of Tea’.
We respect tea as a universal language that can exist between anyone and everyone as an act of shared hospitality, and so ‘The Advance of Tea’ is really about furthering this much loved ancient tradition of tea across the world and securing not only how it transfers to a modern, contemporary lifestyle, but also how it unites us as people, and how we can ensure that tea can continue to grow safely and sustainably for the generations to come. Here’s a 2024 reflection and what’s to come in 2025…
What have been the highlights of 2024 for you?

Markus
Celebrating ten whole years of AVANTCHA! Wow, what an achievement. From doing everything ourselves to having a 40-strong team of talented people across the world living our mission of advancing tea.
A key milestone for 2024 has been developing and opening our markets in London, Switzerland, and Thailand, creating logistical hubs to service these areas. Our teams in hub cities are doing an incredible job getting AVANTCHA out there, giving it a local touch with our global presence.
I’m really happy with our new concept teabars – one in Dubai, and the other in Bangkok. It’s just so cool to see AVANTCHA spaces that reflect our values and get customers engaged with us in person and the products. No coffee here, everything is about tea -from the tea menu to the cold brew teas and speciality drinks and even the fact that our zero proof cocktails, desserts, and pastries all use tea as the core ingredient.

Another major highlight for me was our extensive trip to China and Japan in the spring. We got to revisit our partners in person, look at the incredible work they achieve in the tea gardens, and influence the product in a way that mutually benefits everyone, ensuring longevity of business and good quality of life for the producers, and an amazing product to offer to our customers.

Marina
I think that overall I would have to say that it has been the amazing transformation of our brand, from an even sharper aesthetic to a shiny new website and the development of a young, dynamic team who are so passionate about AVANTCHA. Of course, also our new concept tea bars.
We always wanted to have the opportunity to meet our consumers in person, listen to their wishes and get feedback on our products. It is also an opportunity to educate our consumers about the complex and vast world of tea.

The new Tea Bar & Shop is a natural development, it’s a bigger space than before, dedicated 100% to serving consumers. We will be able to host more people, offer a wider beverage menu and some really good desserts (you have to try the jasmine tea Basque cheesecake if you’re visiting).
The design of the space follows our brand identity, inspired by the minimalistic architecture and interior design of Asia. Clean architectural shapes and lines, a mix of natural materials, colours and textures. The colour selection is based on a strong contrast of black and white, as well as soft transition from black to white.

Our central tea bar is bespoke-made from burnt lava stone, glazed in transition from black to white. We have a glass wall made of glass bricks that allows diffused light to flow that resembles the movement of water. And our centre piece is the Tea Aroma Table, a round-shaped, stainless-steel display that houses all our teas under glass cloches with tasting notes, where guests can discover our vast offering.
We have also recruited hard this year and it’s incredibly difficult to find people who share our values and are also experts in tea. We prioritise the former because we know that the right people can, and will, learn quickly, and this way we’ve grown our team from 18 to 40 in less than a year.

A personal highlight for me was some of our partnerships, including a co-branding project with Netflix for their award-winning show The Gentlemen creating tea blends for their main characters as well as a highly curated capsule collection with a group of iconic British brands. We enjoyed crafting stunning corporate gifting and events collaborations with Cartier, as well as a bespoke tea blend for the Dorchester Collection.

What have been the biggest challenges?
Markus
Certainly the challenges of supply, which is why it pays to have excellent partnerships with your producers and suppliers. A really good example of this is the booming trend for Matcha worldwide that sees Japanese tea producers racing to find solutions to meet demand, which can compromise authenticity, quality, reliability, and also create a knock-on effect to the production of other wonderful Japanese products. For example, if there’s a rush to convert traditional Gyokuro and Sencha gardens to Tencha production for Matcha, what happens to those amazing products? How does the industry balance its need for product during a trend boom that could end at any moment with a long-term, sustainable future? Fortunately we work so closely with our tea gardens and production houses that we’re able to slowly, steadily meet the growing demand in a way that doesn’t compromise.
As well, our growth as a company has been incredible to see but 2025 is going to be all about consolidation, maintaining our agility and assuring the quality of what we do.
Want to read more about Matcha in 2025? Visit our Matcha Guide for Consumers and Industry >

Marina
I’d agree with Markus here on consolidating the brand. We have recruited so many brilliant people and it is our goal to keep them happy, help them develop, and continue this amazing journey together.
How did your predictions go in 2024?
Markus
My main comment last year was how the market for functional herbal teas would continue to grow, which it has, and we have added some great new products to our range – we now have over 150 organic and naturally farmed teas and botanicals – with more to come.

Matcha also was a prediction, and as people have come to understand this complex product, we have drilled down into providing education and products that offer specific origin and cultivars so that people who want the real deal can get stuck in. A bit like red wine – once you become familiar with the taste you begin to learn which countries you might prefer yours from, or which grape tastes good to you. It’s the same with Matcha.

Marina
I had my eye and predictions on the gifting element of tea and how consumer behaviour would develop to demand meaningful and healthy gift solutions beyond your usual suspects like chocolate or sweets. Our customer wants something generous, lasting, and personal to give the receiver and there’s really nothing better than tea and teaware that can be enjoyed and explored every day and promote their wellbeing.
What about 2025?
Markus
I am really looking forward to spending time with our customers and network at our two concept stores. We have a project underway that will see exploring Matcha milling happen in the Dubai teabar as well as a sustainability project that we feel is going to really set the tone and change the industry.

Cold Brew Tea has been around for a while, but I think this will continue to grow, as will an interest in tea pairings and speciality tea-based beverages.
It’s amazing to see people become more interested in tea farming and the supply chain, too. We have some incredible stories that we can’t wait to tell you in line with the launch of our rare teas range: the AVANTCHA Platinum Collection.
Marina
Same, I can’t wait to invite people to the tea bar to experience what we’ve created.

Want to read more about Cheese and Tea Pairings? Visit our guide >
Marina continued…
And, from that, how we will continue to apply the innovative use of tea to food, speciality beverages, pairings and more.
I think also that flavour innovations will continue. We’re starting to see a trend towards more savoury flavours, as well as continued growth in functional flowers, herbs, roots, and spices.
Final thoughts in a nutshell?
Markus
The best is yet to come.
Marina
What a tremendous transformation!