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Rows and rows of tea at Whole Foods Market, Evanston.
During a recent visit to Whole Foods Market's Evanston South store, I spoke with Bridget Isaia, (Marketing and Community Relations Specialist), Kristen Kaza (Marketing and Community Relations Specialist for the Evanston North Store) and Tea Buyer Brent Harper-Murray, about their store's tea offerings.
What I found out surprised me: A year ago, the store added six feet of shelf space to their tea selection, and its staff works hard to keep it stocked!
Tea has become a very hot beverage indeed!
Whole Foods Market is particularly excited about its relationships with its tea vendors: Milwaukee-based Rishi Tea offered a tea tasting at a recent store event, and Whole Foods Market "family" brand Allegro is part of the Whole Trade (fair trade) program.
When asked about his most popular teas, Brent noted that kukicha is probably the hardest to keep on the shelves, with oolongs running a close second. Interest in pu'erh teas has also been on the increase, particularly since Numi and Rishi began offering flavored pu'erhs. Genmaicha, a tasty blend of Japanese green tea and roasted brown rice, also has a loyal following.
Customers do have the option of purchasing loose leaf teas from the store's bulk section as well. Department manager Andrew Phelan noted that the bulk teas give customers the option of being able to buy a tea in very small quantities so that they can find out if they like it.
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(Whole Foods Market also offers a selection of bulk herbs, dried flowers, and spices which can be blended by customers at home to create custom tisanes and teas.)
On the final leg of our tour, I got to examine the lovely teaware that Whole Foods Market sells: From T-Sac "make your own teabag" teabags to infuser teapots and cups, tea-lovers will be able to find what they need to brew their own perfect cuppa.
Whole Foods Market's customers can find tea brands in every price range, from old standbys such as Celestial Seasonings to inexpensive organic offerings such as Choice Organics, to "boutique" lines such as ineeka and The Tea Spot.
Brands Sold at Whole Foods Market Evanston South include:
365 Organic, Allegro Fine Tea, Alter Eco Fair Trade, Alvita, Bija, Celestial Seasonings, Choice Organic Teas, Eco Teas, Eden, Frontier Organic, Good Earth, Guayaki, ineeka, Mighty Leaf, Numi, Oregon Chai, Organic India Tulsi Tea, Red and Green Company, Red Espresso, Republic of Tea, Rishi, Saphara, Stash, Tazo, The Tea Spot, Traditional Medicinals, Triple Leaf Tea, Whole Leaf Organics, Yogi Tea, and Zhena's Gypsy Tea.
Comments
This is kind of progress that all Whole Foods and grocery stores in general need to strive after. Harris Teeter, a grocery store native to the southeast, has started down this path by offering teas and tea products from Adagio, as well as adding other brands such as Revolution and Numi to the standard grocer's Bigelow and Twinnings selection. All in all, I think the right steps are being taken, but us patrons need to voice to our local stores what we want. In turn, these companies will hopefully listen to what their customers want.
N.B.: Vitamin Shoppe retail stores also offer a great selection of tisanes.
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