The invention relates to a tea-based beverage composition comprising, calculated by weight of dry matter: 0.3-10% of dry tea components; 10-80% saccharide selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose and combinations thereof; 2-35% oil; 0.5-20% gelatinized starch; and 0.1-10% plant protein selected from leguminous protein, cereal protein and combinations thereof; wherein the composition contains less than 10% by weight of dry matter of particles of plant material comprising the plant protein wherein said particles having a diameter of more than 10 μm and wherein the gelatinized starch and the plant protein are contained in the beverage composition in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 20:1. The benefits of the invention can be realized in ready-to-drink beverages as well as in reconstitutable powders. The invention also provides a process for the preparation of the aforementioned tea-based beverage composition, the process comprising addition of a flour selected from leguminous flour, cereal flour and combinations there
