Madame Flavour
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tea and herbal infusions |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Corinne Noyes |
| Headquarters | Brighton , Australia |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong |
Key people | Corinne Noyes (Founder, Head Tea Blender) |
| Products | Loose leaf teas, herbal infusions, tea bags, infuser pods |
| Owner | Corinne Noyes |
| Website | www |
Madame Flavour is an Australian enterprise specializing in tea and herbal infusions, established by Corinne Noyes in 2007 to address the demand for premium loose leaf teas.
The company procures tea leaves from regions such as Sri Lanka, India, and China, combining them with indigenous Australian botanicals. These unique mixtures are influenced by Noyes' global experiences in countries including Cuba, France, the United States, China, Sri Lanka, and Norway. Noyes continues to serve as the Head Tea Blender, overseeing product development.
Packaging
Madame Flavour’s brand identity centers on a female demographic, featuring tea packaging that contains personalized notes or coloring sheets to enhance customer interaction. At the outset, Noyes personally signed 1,000 letters included in supermarket products, which led to 20,000 customer responses. The teas are available either as loose leaf or in pyramid-shaped gauze teabags and infuser pods crafted from biodegradable corn starch-based materials certified as environmentally friendly.
Blends
By 2011, the product line comprised Signature Blend, Grey De Luxe, Sultry Chai, Green, Jasmine and Pear, as well as White with Rose. That year also saw the introduction of Mint Lavender Tisane, a caffeine-free blend featuring peppermint, spearmint, lavender, and peppermint gum leaves inspired by Noyes' property in South Gippsland.
In 2012, Madame Flavour launched smaller and more cost-effective 18-pack options including Special Blend 18 and Grey de Luxe 18.
The brand expanded in 2015 with "Tea Treats," Australia’s first dessert-themed tea collection available in supermarkets. This range showcased single-origin teas such as Orange Choc Ceylon, Caramel Oolong, and Mint Choc Rooibos.
During winter 2016, new blends were introduced: Blood Orange Fruit Tea, Ginger Masala Chai, and Green Jasmine Pear.
Ingredients
The Earl Grey Twist incorporates lemon myrtle sourced from farms near Lismore; Sultry Chai includes Australian mountain pepper leaf cultivated in South Gippsland. English Breakfast utilizes organic Assam loose leaves originating from Sri Lanka. Mint Lavender combines French lavender with round leaf mint grown in Gippsland.
Distribution and structure
In February 2008, Noyes presented her product to a leading supermarket chain; by July of that year, Madame Flavour was stocked in 700 supermarkets. Availability increased to over 1,200 stores by 2012 and reached 1,800 outlets by 2015 across key retailers such as Coles, Woolworths, and New Zealand's Countdown. Additionally, Madame Flavour teas are served onboard Virgin Australia flights and at Crown and Metropole hotels. The company manufactures approximately 15 million tea bags annually across up to 60 varieties. Sales approached $5 million AUD by 2016. By 2017, distribution extended into markets including New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
In May 2020, during Virgin Australia's administration—a significant client—Noyes called on customers for support via Instagram. Madame Flavour was a creditor supplying Virgin lounges nationwide. The overwhelming customer response caused the company website to become temporarily inaccessible due to high visitor volume.
Location
The company originated in 2007 operating out of Noyes' residence in Highett. In 2011, Noyes relocated with her husband Matt and daughter Sienna to Gippsland, while the business moved to a commercial facility elsewhere within Highett. Currently, operations are based in Brighton.
Marketing, accolades, and promotional initiatives
In 2011, Noyes was recognized as a Victorian finalist in the Telstra Business Women's Awards.
The infuser pods earned a finalist position in the Beverages segment at the 2012 Food Magazine Awards.
Nourish Brands’ campaign titled "Let beautiful happen" achieved finalist status in the Advertising-Print category at the 2013 Melbourne Design Awards.
In 2014, Madame Flavour took part in supporting the Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival.
During the ADMA Global Forum held in August 2015, Noyes delivered a presentation focusing on 'conscious marketing' and the significance of product values.
In 2016, the company collaborated with Smiling Mind to create a three-minute meditation ritual centered around tea infusion, integrated into their app to encourage mindfulness practices.