To enhance taste experience, Santino also offers drinking chocolate, chai, and gourmet syrups, which could be combined with coffee and tea.
By making these additional offerings available, the firm is aligning with the diverse beverage trends in Asia.
Consumers want variety, according to Kang Yi Yang, sales director at Santino. Having varied offerings allows businesses to maximise their appeal, serve a wider variety of tastes, and create a more inclusive and flexible menu.
“The goal is to offer something for everyone,” said Kang. “Some customers prefer the bold, energising kick of coffee, while others turn to tea for its calming properties. By offering both, we create a flexible menu that appeals to diverse groups and maximises customer satisfaction.”
For instance, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Taiwan are popular destinations for coffee tourism, offering experiences like coffee plantation tours and tastings. Japan and Taiwan are known for their unique coffee creations, like matcha coffee and coffee-based desserts. China also embraces coffee technology, with mobile ordering apps to enhance user experience by improving convenience, said Kang.
Apart from desiring variety, the rise in health-consciousness among Asian consumers is driving the demand for both coffee and tea. While coffee provides an energising boost, tea – especially green, herbal, and functional varieties – offers a perceived health benefit.
By offering both, businesses can align themselves with the wellness trends driving both markets.
Coffee and tea are complementary products, not competitors
As coffee and tea are consumed at different times of day or for different purposes, offering both beverages provides businesses with the opportunity to cross-sell and cater to a wider variety of customer needs. For instance, coffee fuels early risers, while tea can be a relaxing option in the later part of the day.
In recent years, both coffee and tea have experienced shifts that reflect broader consumer trends.
Coffee has moved toward premium, specialty varieties, with an increasing number of Asian countries producing high-quality beans that cater to discerning coffee drinkers.
Meanwhile, tea has evolved beyond traditional offerings, with a rising demand for artisanal blends and functional beverages that support health and wellness.
As consumers become more conscious of their beverage choices – driven by health, sustainability, and the desire for unique experiences – businesses that offer both coffee and tea are better positioned to thrive.
Sustainable one-stop shop
As a B2B business, offering a one-stop-shop solution to customers is essential because it streamlines the customer experience and builds long-term relationships with businesses. This approach eliminates the need for customers to deal with multiple suppliers, saving time and reducing complexity, said Kang.
Santino is also responding to the growing demand for sustainably sourced products.
As conscious consumerism rises in Asia, more consumers are seeking out coffee and tea that have been ethically sourced and produced with environmental considerations in mind.
Santino has focused on offering coffee and tea from regions that emphasise sustainability and ethical production practices, such as from Southeast Asia countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, where local sourcing helps reduce the carbon footprint of transport.
The growing demand for premium and specialty coffee has been driving up prices for higher-quality beans. At the same time, sustainable and ethically sourced beans demand a premium price as well due to the fair prices paid to farmers and the costs associated with environmentally friendly practices.
As conscious consumerism in Asia increases demand for sustainably sourced and certified beans, and organisations such as Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade International promoting a sustainable supply chain, companies will likely change the way they source coffee beans in the next few years, said Kang.
