English Tea Shop

What English Tea Shop does

English Tea Shop is a privately held organic and Fairtrade-certified tea company, founded in 2010 and incorporated in the UK as English Tea Shop (UK) Ltd, with operational headquarters in London and production/sourcing operations in Sri Lanka. The company sources tea directly from a network of 1,428 small-scale farmers cultivating 4,680 acres of organically certified land, operating outside the traditional Sri Lankan auction system, and accounts for 29% of Sri Lanka's organic tea exports. Its product portfolio spans black teas (English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Chai), green teas (Jasmine, Pomegranate), white teas, botanical infusions, wellness/super-goodness blends, and an extensive gifting and seasonal range (advent calendars, gift tins, curated selections). All products and facilities hold a dense stack of certifications — Fairtrade, EU Organic, Carbon Neutral, ISO 14001/22001/9001/27001, IFS, BRC, and SMETA — supporting listing with major retailers and travel retail.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through etsteas.store and etsteas.co.uk (with free UK shipping over £25 and a monthly subscription service), alongside a global trade partner network of resellers and retailers across 48 countries — including named listings at Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Spar, Nahdi Medical, Billa, Shanghai Wellgo, and TRM Hong Kong — and a new duty-free outlet at Bandaranaike International Airport opened in February 2025. Unit pricing dominates the revenue model, with entry products at £3.30 (English Breakfast, 20 sachets) and premium gift tins up to £9.99+; bundles offer up to 10% off and a mix-and-match discount of 5%, while the subscription tier provides recurring revenue.

The company's competitive positioning is anchored in its proprietary 'Creating Shared Value' model and 'Prajāva' (community) philosophy, which guide farmer training, fair pricing, and environmental practices. It is 30% employee-owned as of 2021 (transitioning toward majority employee ownership via an ESOP launched in 2020), with 46% female workforce, Open Book Management, and Great Game of Business practices embedded in the culture. The company has no disclosed external investors, no parent company, and no public funding rounds.

Name

English Tea Shop

Legal name

English Tea Shop (UK) Ltd

Website

https://etsteas.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

English Tea Shop is a UK-incorporated, Sri Lanka-based organic and Fairtrade tea company selling black, green, white, wellness, and gifting teas directly to consumers and through a 48-country trade partner and retail network. It sources directly from 1,428 small-scale farmers and is 30% employee-owned.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Tea

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Organic tea
• Fairtrade tea
• Herbal infusions
• Wellness tea
• Tea gift sets

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Organic Tea Products: Sale of organic and Fairtrade certified teas including black, green, white teas and herbal infusions/tisanes in various formats (pyramid tea bags, sachets, whole leaf tins)
2. Tea Gift Products: Sale of curated tea gift collections for various occasions including birthdays, holidays, Mother's Day, and special moments
3. Subscription Service: Tea subscription service allowing regular delivery of favourite teas

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

English Tea Shop produces and sells certified organic and Fairtrade teas — including black, green, white, botanical and wellness tisanes — sourced directly from 1,428 small-scale farmers in Sri Lanka. Products are packaged in pyramid tea bags, sachets and loose-leaf tins and sold through company-owned e-commerce stores (etsteas.co.uk and etsteas.store), a global trade partner network, retail chains, and a tea subscription service.

Product overview

English Tea Shop is a consumer goods company offering organic and sustainable teas with a diverse product portfolio spanning core tea products and gifting solutions. Their core offerings include black teas (English Breakfast, Chai, Earl Grey), green teas (Jasmine, Pomegranate), white teas, botanicals and infusions (Turmeric, Cinnamon, Super Berries), and wellness collections (Sleepy Me, Daily Wellness, Super-Goodness). The product range is organized into everyday teas, super-goodness wellness teas, and wellness teas, complemented by gifting collections including Caring Moments, Holiday Collections, and Advent Calendars. The company emphasizes their tea pyramid bags, tea bag sachets, and whole leaf tea options, with products available in various formats including 15ct, 20ct, and 32-sachet packs. All products are certified organic, Fairtrade, carbon-neutral, and produced in carbon-neutral operational facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Black Tea A range of organic black teas including English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Ceylon Black, Chai Black Tea, and Decaffeinated options, sold in pyramid tea bags and sachets for everyday consumption.
• Organic Green Tea Organic green tea varieties including Jasmine Green Tea and Green Tea with Pomegranate, packaged in pyramid bags for individual consumers.
• Organic White Tea Premium organic white tea selections sold in pyramid tea bags.
• Botanicals and Infusions Caffeine-free herbal and botanical tea infusions including Turmeric (Curcuma), Ginger & Lemongrass, Beetroot Apple & Blueberry, Ceylon Cinnamon, and Super Berries blends.
• Super-Goodness Wellness Teas Health-focused tea blends with enhanced wellness benefits featuring superfood ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, berries and cinnamon.
• Wellness Tea Collection Functional wellness teas including Sleepy Me, Beautiful Me and related blends designed for relaxation, sleep and personal wellbeing.
• English Breakfast Tea

Quantifiable outcome

• 29% of Sri Lanka's organic tea production exported by English Tea Shop
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Albert HeijncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Dutch supermarket chain distributing English Tea Shop products across the Netherlands
• JumbocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDutch supermarket chain and major retailer in the Netherlands stocking organic tea products
• Nahdi Medical CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading healthcare and pharmacy retailer in Saudi Arabia distributing tea products
• Billa (Austria)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustrian supermarket chain distributing English Tea Shop products in Austria
• Shanghai Wellgo Trading Co. LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAsian trade partner distributing English Tea Shop products in China
• Cédric Richard, Nature & Expression (France)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench distribution partner since 2010, first brand in Nature & Expression's portfolio
• Gan Teck Kar Foods (Malaysia/Singapore)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSoutheast Asian trade partner for Malaysia and Singapore markets
• TRM Company Limited (Hong Kong)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHong Kong-based trade partner for Asian market distribution

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Traditional Medicinals: Traditional Medicinals is a US-based herbal tea company specializing in wellness and functional teas with organic and Fairtrade certifications. It directly overlaps with English Tea Shop's wellness tea line (Sleepy Me, Beautiful Me) and shares the organic/ethical sourcing brand DNA.
• Teapigs: Teapigs is a UK-based premium tea brand known for its 'tea temples' (pyramid bags) format and whole leaf quality positioning. It directly competes with English Tea Shop on pyramid bag format, premium positioning, and UK/international specialty retail distribution.
• Dilmah: Dilmah is a Sri Lankan family-owned tea company that grows, packages, and sells its own single-origin Ceylon tea globally. It is highly comparable as a vertically integrated Sri Lankan-origin tea brand with ethical sourcing commitments, similar product range (black, green, herbal teas), and global retail distribution including hotels and foodservice.
• Pukka Herbs: Pukka Herbs is a UK-based organic herbal tea brand with comparable premium organic positioning, sustainable sourcing, and wellness-focused blends. Acquired by Unilever in 2017, it represents a direct peer in the premium organic herbal tea segment with similar ethical brand identity and retail channels.
• Numi Organic Tea: Numi Organic Tea is a US-based premium organic tea brand offering a comparable range of black, green, white, and herbal teas with sustainability commitments including Fair Trade and organic certifications. It competes in the same premium organic tea category with similar ethical positioning.
• Republic of Tea: Republic of Tea is a US-based premium tea company offering specialty black, green, herbal, and wellness teas with a focus on healthy living. It is comparable as a premium specialty tea brand with similar wellness positioning and direct-to-consumer plus retail distribution model in the specialty tea segment.
• T2 Tea: T2 Tea is an Australian specialty tea retailer and wholesaler offering premium loose-leaf teas, tea bags, and gifting collections. Acquired by Unilever, it competes directly in the premium specialty tea space with comparable gifting focus and experiential branding, and serves as a model for English Tea Shop's specialty retail ambitions.
• Clipper Teas (Wessanen): Clipper Teas is a UK-based Fairtrade and organic tea brand with comparable ethical sourcing credentials, including Fairtrade certification and direct relationships with tea growers. Owned by Wessanen (later PAI Partners), it competes directly with English Tea Shop in the premium organic tea segment in UK and European retail.

Broad incumbents

• Yorkshire Tea (Bettys & Taylors): Yorkshire Tea is a major UK tea brand with broad supermarket distribution and significant market share in Britain. It is comparable as a UK-based tea brand selling through similar retail channels (Tesco, Sainsbury's, etc.), though it competes more on heritage and everyday value than organic/sustainability credentials.
• Twinings: Twinings (owned by Associated British Foods) is one of the world's oldest and largest tea brands with a broad portfolio spanning black, green, herbal, and specialty teas. It is comparable as a UK-based global tea brand with similar product breadth and retail distribution, though English Tea Shop differentiates through organic/Fairtrade positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/etsteas
• Instagraminstagram.com/etsteas
• Xx.com/etsteas
• Facebookfacebook.com/ETSteas

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about English Tea Shop