Loose tea is bulk tea supplied by the tea plantations in packed form. This may be loose leaf tea or dust tea of CTC make or made by orthodox process. Hence, loose tea is available in bulk in any plantation’s name in suitable packing like plywood chests or in gunny bags. It is generally made available from 25 kg.to 55 kg. All such teas supplied are graded and marked with production lot numbers.  Later, they are marked with invoice numbers when moved to ware houses for selling at auctions.

Different grades of loose teas

Thus loose teas are supplied by all plantations in packed forms in different grades, kinds and varieties. The grades or sizes are generally Pekoe Dust, Red Dust, Super Red Dust, Fine Dust, Super Fine Dust, Super Red Fine Dust, Super Dust, Golden Dust , Broken Orange Pekoe Dust, Dust one or Dust A etc in dust grades and Pekoe, Orange Pekoe, Broken Orange Pekoe, Pekoe Fanning etc in Leaf grades. There may be some more grades like Flavoring Pekoe or Flavoring BOP etc as desired by the plantations. In Assam plantations the names of different grades are different from those of South Indian hill plantations.

The teas are made available in bulk form, but all in well packed and named after the estates and grades. These stocks are ready for private sales at respective estates or for the weekly auctions at the broker’s warehouses.

How to buy the loose teas?

If you are a member of the tea trade association in the city like Coonoor, Coimbatore, Cochin, Calcutta, Siliguri, you can participate in the on-line or direct weekly auctions and buy the teas in 5 bags or multiple lots in each grade. If you are not a member, you can get the assistance of the member-buyer in procuring desired teas. If you are a small merchant you can buy the loose tea from the local whole sale merchant also who generally keeps the stocks in bags procured through the member- buyer.

If you are a retailer, you can buy from the whole sale merchants in small quantities in loose, say in Kilograms too in any desired grades. If you are a home user or hotelier, you may prefer to buy loose teas from the retail merchants. These retail merchants keep the stocks in glass boxes or show cases and sell buy weighing them when ever customers demand on the counter.

Price and profits

The prices of the teas are fixed by the auctioneering brokers and sold at a small commission by the auction members. The tea price slowly rises as it moves from hands to hands and becomes doubled or even a little more also when sold in branded blends in packs in departmental stores. There you can see wide profit margin between the retail and the auction prices.

How do you use the loose teas?

Generally the loose tea moves in bags in different grades till it reaches the final small tea merchant. He only decides to sell them in loose form or in blended form. Generally he sells the leaf teas in single grades and dust teas in blended form. There are valid reasons why he wishes to sell in straight grades or in blends. The leaf tea has its unique taste and flavor and could be maintained till the consumer tastes. The dust grades vary in characters and to maintain a consistency in color, taste and flavor, they are blended in certain definite proportions and sold in loose form or in branded or brand less packets.

There could be more number of blends and also in flavors too with different recipes like cocoa tea, ginger tea, cardamom tea, masala tea etc., It is consumers’ choice to make the tea in regular form or in varied tastes in connection to the moment and frame of mind to enjoy life alone or in gatherings.

Low priced loose teas fetch you high profits

Thus the loose teas that come out of factories are unique in characters with low prices. Then it passes through a journey of commerce to get value added in its form and   real money value. When it finds it concluding form as beautifully packed tea, the final verdict is massive profit to the company which sells in enormous volumes. You could also reap an unimaginable money harvest if you know the business tricks.

The book titled “Tea taster: How to become a tea taster?” is a total guide to tea merchants who really wishes to become rich in tea business. Just learn to grow rich!