Tetley is kicking off a major range redesign with the launch of a new tea bag especially designed to be used with soya milk.

The Tata-owned brand is introducing Tetley for Soya (rsp: £2.39 per 80 tea bags) to retailers later this month.

The tea bags, which are aimed at the 15% of UK households that consume soya [Nielsen Scantrack, 15 May 2010], contain a different blend of black tea to Tetley’s regular range.

They created a fuller-flavoured cup of tea when mixed with soya milk, claimed Simon Attfield, customer marketing controller for Tata Global Beverages.

“Many soya drinkers find it hard to switch from dairy milk in their cuppa,” he said. “It’s down to the proteins in soya, they work differently than the proteins in cows’ milk and can make normal everyday tea taste quite different.”

Soya supplier Alpro has endorsed the NPD and will team up with Tetley later this month on press advertising supporting the launch. “The development of Tetley for Soya will not only allow existing Alpro consumers to enjoy a better cup of tea, but will help soya appeal to an even wider audience,” said John Allaway, commercial director for Alpro UK.

More people were becoming aware of the low saturated fat and cholesterol-lowering credentials of soya, he said, predicting that demand for more soya-based alternatives would increase.

The launch marks the first product to feature Tetley’s “more vibrant and modern” pack design. As well as a bolder logo, images of swirling tea leaves have been added in a bid to communicate freshness to the consumer.

Over the next few months Tetley’s entire portfolio would adopt the new design to provide a more consistent appearance on shelf, said Attfield.

“Despite the success of our Redbush and green tea ranges, the awareness of these products among our core consumers is relatively low,” explained Attfield.

“The refreshed look visually unites the Tetley portfolio, giving consumers a clearer picture of the extent of our range compared with the old designs.”

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