LIPTON Teas and Infusions
LIPTON Teas and Infusions is the world's largest tea company, producing and selling teas, herbal infusions, and organic blends across 100 countries through brands including Lipton, PG Tips, Pukka, T2, TAZO, and Lyons to approximately 250 million daily consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1871
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What LIPTON Teas and Infusions does
LIPTON Teas and Infusions B.V. is a private Dutch company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, founded in 1871 and currently controlled by CVC Capital Partners following its July 2022 carve-out acquisition of Unilever's tea business (formerly ekaterra, rebranded in January 2023). It is the world's largest tea company, purchasing approximately 4% of global tea production and operating across 100 countries with manufacturing in the UK (Manchester PG Tips), UAE (Jebel Ali), Kenya (Kericho), Pakistan (Khanewal since 1948), and Japan, serving approximately 250 million daily consumers through a portfolio of more than 30 brands including Lipton (the flagship, with 42 regional variations of Yellow Label), PG Tips (UK's #1), Pukka (organic herbal), T2 (Australian specialty with 100+ varieties), TAZO (US chai), Lyons (Irish), Brooke Bond, Pure Leaf, and regional brands. Underlying technology includes the proprietary Tealingo™ tea categorization system, the Tea Essence (TESS) processing method, a 2020-patented high-infusion drying technology, PLA biodegradable teabags (industry first, 2018), the AI-powered IoTea™ farm management tool, and an AI-powered ESG risk monitoring platform covering 4,036 suppliers.
The company operates three primary go-to-market channels: (1) consumer packaged goods retail through supermarket, convenience, and grocery chains worldwide across mass-market (Lipton, PG Tips Original), premium (Pukka), and specialty (T2) price tiers; (2) HORECA and professional B2B serving hotels, restaurants, cafes, and workplaces with branded tea programs, staff training, and beverage program management; and (3) direct-to-consumer e-commerce through brand websites (lipton.com, pukkaherbs.com, t2tea.com, tazo.com). Revenue is generated through transactional product sales with regional P&L ownership across four continents. Reported revenue was €1.57 billion in 2024, down from approximately €2 billion pre-carve-out, against €3.2 billion in debt that has required €250 million in cumulative CVC capital support (€40M in 2025, €210M in April 2026) under a turnaround leadership team led by CEO Marc Busain (ex-HEINEKEN Americas President, appointed September 2025) and Chair Grant Reid (former Mars CEO, appointed April 2026).
LIPTON Teas and Infusions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LIPTON Teas and Infusions
- Legal name
- LIPTON Teas and Infusions B.V.
- Website
- https://liptonteas.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1871
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- LIPTON Teas and Infusions is the world's largest tea company, producing and selling teas, herbal infusions, and organic blends across 100 countries through brands including Lipton, PG Tips, Pukka, T2, TAZO, and Lyons to approximately 250 million daily consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LIPTON Teas and Infusions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tea and Herbal Infusions
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (31193)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Instant Tea, Tea Extracts & Concentrates Manufacturing (AFAFADAH), Coffee & Tea Concentrates, Syrups & Extracts (CRADAHAI), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Beverage Wholesale (AFAIAGAD), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes (THAFADAF)
Keywords
Where LIPTON Teas and Infusions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
LIPTON Teas and Infusions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) - Retail: Sale of branded teas and herbal infusions through traditional retail, supermarkets, and convenience stores globally under brands including Lipton, PG Tips, Pukka, T2, TAZO, and Lyons. Products span mass-market black and green teas, premium organic herbal teas, specialty teas, and concentrates sold through retail shelf space worldwide.
- HORECA and Professional B2B: Supply of teas and infusions to hotels, restaurants, cafes, and workplaces (HORECA channel), as well as dedicated professional service packages including staff training, marketing materials, and personalised recommendations for beverage program management.
- Direct-to-Consumer (Brand Websites): Direct sales of teas and related products through brand websites and regional e-commerce platforms including lipton.com, pukkaherbs.com, t2tea.com, and tazo.com.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Mass-market tea brands (Lipton, PG Tips Original) sold at mainstream accessible retail price points across global supermarket and convenience store chains. |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels12 records
LIPTON Teas and Infusions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LIPTON Teas and Infusions is the world's largest tea company, producing and selling a portfolio of branded teas and herbal infusions (black, green, white, chai, and herbal botanicals) across more than 100 countries. The portfolio spans mass-market brands such as Lipton and PG Tips, premium organic herbal teas under Pukka, specialty teas under T2 and TAZO, and regional brands such as Lyons and Brooke Bond. The company operates the full farm-to-cup value chain, including sourcing from nearly one million farmers, manufacturing, branded retail distribution, HORECA channels, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
Product overview
LIPTON Teas and Infusions is the world's largest tea company, offering a portfolio of iconic global and regional brands across teas and herbal infusions. The core product is the flagship Lipton (Yellow Label) brand, supported by sub-brands including Pukka (organic herbal teas), T2 (Australian tea and teaware), PG Tips (UK's top-selling tea), TAZO (US chai and specialty teas), Lyons (Irish tea), Brooke Bond (India/Pakistan), Pure Leaf (ready-to-drink), Elephant/Joko, and others. Products span black, green, white, oolong, and herbal teas; tea concentrates; and botanical ingredients including over 100 herbs and spices sourced globally. The company operates across the full tea value chain from farm to consumer, serving 250 million daily consumers in 100 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lipton: Flagship global tea brand, inspiration for the company's name
- Pukka
- T2
- PG Tips
- TAZO
- Lyons
- Brooke Bond
- Elephant
- Pure Leaf
- Red Label
- Taj Mahal
Products and services
- Lipton
Quantifiable outcome
- Tea is the lowest carbon-footprint beverage after tap water, ten times less than bottled water (per France's ADEME environmental agency)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use LIPTON Teas and Infusions
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
LIPTON Teas and Infusions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
LIPTON Teas and Infusions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.
- Yellow Door EnergycoreLIPTON commissioned a 580 kWp rooftop solar power plant at its Jebel Ali factory in Dubai in partnership with Yellow Door Energy. The installation comprises nearly 1,000 photovoltaic panels generating approximately 958,000 kWh of clean electricity annually (meeting ~13% of facility energy needs) and reducing carbon emissions by approximately 388,000 kg per year. The project supports LIPTON's net-zero by 2040 target and the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Clean Energy Strategy, with similar renewable initiatives underway in Pakistan and Turkey.
- Browns Investments (Sri Lanka)strategicLIPTON and Browns Investments agreed a long-term partnership in May 2024 to accelerate tea industry transformation, combining LIPTON's global tea expertise with Browns Investments' regional capabilities in Sri Lanka and East Africa.
- Government of KenyacoreLIPTON partnered with the Government of Kenya and the University of Kabianga to create the Lipton Tea Innovation & Technology Academy — the world's first higher education institution dedicated to tea. The Academy offers professional training from introductory business skills to advanced scientific research (masters' and doctoral degrees), supporting Kenya's largest export industry and creating globally sought talent. First graduates completed the program in 2024.
- University of Kabianga (Kenya)coreUniversity partner in the Lipton Tea Innovation & Technology Academy, providing academic credentials and research capabilities for tea science, agricultural best practices, and skills development for Kenya's tea industry workforce.
- Cranfield UniversityminorLIPTON partnered with Cranfield University for climate-smart agriculture research and development, advancing agronomic excellence and climate resilience in tea production as part of the 2025 sustainability initiatives.
- IDH (the Sustainable Trade Initiative)minorLIPTON works with IDH to drive sustainable trade practices and social impact across the tea supply chain, supporting living wage initiatives, responsible sourcing, and farmer livelihoods programs.
- Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)minorPartnership focused on nutrition and health outcomes, supporting LIPTON's mission to promote the health and well-being benefits of teas and infusions to consumers globally.
- UN WomenminorLIPTON collaborates with UN Women on gender equality and women's empowerment programs within its supply chain and the tea industry, including social and economic empowerment initiatives for women and girls in tea-growing regions.
- Global Tea CoalitionminorLIPTON participates in the Global Tea Coalition, an industry-wide alliance working to promote the tea category, advance sustainability standards, and drive collective advocacy for tea's health and well-being benefits globally.
- UNICEFminorLIPTON has worked with UNICEF on child welfare and community development programs in tea-growing regions, supporting broader social impact initiatives alongside core business operations.
- WE (We Charity)minorPartnership with WE (We Charity) supporting youth empowerment and education programs in tea-growing communities, contributing to LIPTON's social impact agenda.
- Digital Opportunities TrustminorPartnership focused on digital skills and opportunities for communities in LIPTON's operating regions, supporting broader development goals alongside tea industry programs.
- Soil AssociationminorPukka brand holds certification from the Soil Association, supporting organic and sustainably produced herbal teas. The Soil Association alliance supports Pukka's commitment to 100% organic and fair-trade sourced ingredients.
- Fair for LifeminorPukka brand holds Fair for Life certification, supporting fair trade practices and responsible sourcing throughout its supply chain alongside the Soil Association certification.
- Fairtrade / Fairworld InternationalminorPukka brand holds Fairtrade and Fairworld International certifications for ethical sourcing, complementing its organic certification to ensure both environmental and social standards across its ingredient supply chain.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
LIPTON Teas and Infusions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tata Consumer Products: India-headquartered CPG major owning Tata Tea, Tetley, and Eight O'Clock Coffee—the most direct global competitor to LIPTON with comparable mass-market tea portfolios across India, UK, and North America and similar exposure to private-label tea competition.
- Associated British Foods (Twinings): Owns Twinings, the UK's heritage premium tea brand that competes directly with PG Tips and Lipton on UK supermarket shelves and globally in HORECA, sharing the same British retail customer base and similar sustainability positioning.
- Hain Celestial (Celestial Seasonings): Owner of Celestial Seasonings, the leading US herbal tea brand; directly comparable to Pukka and TAZO in the North American natural/specialty channel, with overlapping wellness positioning and retail customer base.
- Bigelow Tea: Third-generation US family-owned tea company competing with Lipton and TAZO in US grocery and foodservice channels; comparable CPG tea manufacturer with premium and mass-market tier exposure.
- Yogi Tea (East West Tea Company): US-based herbal and functional tea brand with comparable wellness, organic, and sustainability positioning to Pukka; competes in the same natural products retail channel in North America.
- Dilmah: Sri Lankan family-owned tea company competing globally in premium loose-leaf and tea-bag segments; comparable in vertical integration (estate-to-cup), sustainability certifications, and HORECA presence.
- Traditional Medicinals: US herbal tea company with therapeutic wellness positioning that overlaps with Pukka's organic herbal blends; comparable in scale, US natural-channel distribution, and clinical/wellness branding.
- ITO EN: Japan's largest tea company with both RTD bottled tea (overlapping with Pure Leaf) and traditional tea products; directly comparable in tea category breadth and APAC retail presence.
Emerging players
- Harney & Sons: US specialty tea company with premium loose-leaf positioning comparable to T2; competes in the same specialty tea and gift-channel segments and overlapping customer demographic.
Broad incumbents
- JDE Peet's (JAB Holding): Global coffee and tea platform under JAB Holding that competes in adjacent beverage categories (coffee, hot beverages); comparable in scale, HORECA distribution, private-equity ownership, and category consolidation strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LIPTON Teas and Infusions social profiles
Digital presenceLIPTON Teas and Infusions compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
LIPTON Teas and Infusions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LIPTON Teas and Infusions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
LIPTON Teas and Infusions subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
LIPTON Teas and Infusions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LIPTON Teas and Infusions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LIPTON Teas and Infusions
What does LIPTON Teas and Infusions do?
LIPTON Teas and Infusions is the world's largest tea company, producing and selling a portfolio of branded teas and herbal infusions (black, green, white, chai, and herbal botanicals) across more than 100 countries. The portfolio spans mass-market brands such as Lipton and PG Tips, premium organic herbal teas under Pukka, specialty teas under T2 and TAZO, and regional brands such as Lyons and Brooke Bond. The company operates the full farm-to-cup value chain, including sourcing from nearly one million farmers, manufacturing, branded retail distribution, HORECA channels, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
Is LIPTON Teas and Infusions a public or private company?
LIPTON Teas and Infusions is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was LIPTON Teas and Infusions founded?
LIPTON Teas and Infusions was founded in 1871. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is LIPTON Teas and Infusions based?
LIPTON Teas and Infusions is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does LIPTON Teas and Infusions make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) - Retail is the primary driver. The others are HORECA and Professional B2B and direct-to-Consumer (Brand Websites).
Who are LIPTON Teas and Infusions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tata Consumer Products, Associated British Foods (Twinings), Hain Celestial (Celestial Seasonings), Bigelow Tea, Yogi Tea (East West Tea Company), Dilmah, Traditional Medicinals and ITO EN. Harney & Sons is listed as an emerging player. JDE Peet's (JAB Holding) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does LIPTON Teas and Infusions have an API?
No public API is recorded for LIPTON Teas and Infusions.
What industry is LIPTON Teas and Infusions in?
LIPTON Teas and Infusions's product category is Tea and Herbal Infusions. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAHAE, Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates), with a secondary code of AFAFADAJ, Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing. Its NAICS code is 31192 and its SIC code is 2080.