Building tea image

in Australia

By Denis Fisk

Kurumul tea, the first commercial tea grown in New Guinea (near Banz, in the Western Highlands), is being sold and promoted as a high quality tea in Australia.

The chain of 36 pharmacy-cum general stores run by Washington H.

Soul Pattinson & Co. Ltd. in New South Wales, is opening the New Guinea tea campaign in Australia.

“Quality” shops in other states are expected to follow.

Although New Guinea tea, since it was first sold on world markets in 1966, has gained recognition as high quality tea on those markets, it has sold in very small quantities for blend ing in Australia—simply because it is such high quality leaf.

Australians sip a brew from 60million pounds of tea a year, but it’s mostly relatively poor grade. For in stance, New Guinea tea sells in Lon don, the US and Canada for prices from about 43c-64c a pound. The average price for all tea imported into Australia in the financial year 1969- 70 was 33c a pound. With the distinct possibility that New Guinea tea in years to come will have a harder time with competition on world markets, it needs to begin carving itself out a quality market in its nearest neigh bour—Australia.

It won’t be an easy task to improve the taste of Australian tea drinkers, as the Ceylon and Indian exporters have discovered, but at least they’ve begun the slowly moving trend. While nobody knows yet how Kurumul will sell, and the other plantation brands which are sure to follow it, Washing ton H. Soul Pattinson are enthusi astic and prepared to promote New Guinea tea if it draws customers. In accord with its quality image, un blended Kurumul is selling for 50c a half-pound, compared with the price for common brands in Australia of 33c a half-pound.

Promotion at this stage consists of

coloured display cards of an attractive Highlands girl picking tea, and pam phlets on the New Guinea industry and how to get the best out of its product when making a pot.

The general manager (pharmacy) for Washington H. Soul Pattinson, Mr. S. Slatyer, who is not a tea drinker, is nonetheless enthusiastic after being hit between the eyes by a Kurumul Plantation representative with New Guinea tea lore, and facts about high-quality tea. He and his store managers have been lectured and Mr. Slatyer now talks confidently of the quite peculiar appeal of New Guinea tea —“people find it very dif ferent to the tea they’re used to”— and tosses off references to its “opalescence” or shine when poured.

One of the puzzles one gets used to in connection with New Guinea is that its tea is being promoted in Australia before the homeland. Several brands of tea, packed on the plantations, are being sold in New Guinea stores, at

a price competitive with Australian brands and offering much superior quality. But has anyone advertised the fact? On cinema slides, yes, but in no other way.

One obvious means of publicising New Guinea tea —and coffee—to resi dents and visitors would be to offer it in the country’s restaurants, cafes and “coffee lounges”.

It’s not done, except at one place in Mt. Hagen, in the Highlands, I understand. One tea company execu tive, commenting on the idea, said bluntly: “You know what a lousy cup of tea most of these places in New Guinea make—that’s why we wouldn’t be keen”.

From personal experience I know also what a lousy cup of coffee they make, especially the restaurants in the capital, Port Moresby, which all serve instant coffee, in a country which produces excellent coffee for percolat ing.

It’ll all happen one day I guess.