Ahmad Tea
Ahmad Tea is a family-owned UK-based tea blender and packer founded in 1986, serving 90+ countries via exclusive distributors, B2B wholesale, and D2C e-commerce with a portfolio spanning black, green, cold brew, fruit, herbal, and premium sub-brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersBasingstoke, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ahmad Tea does
Ahmad Tea is a family-owned British tea blender and packer founded in 1986 by Rahim Afshar and his brothers, named after their father, and headquartered in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire. The company blends, sources, and packages a full-spectrum portfolio of teas including black, green, cold brew, fruit, herbal, functional (Natural Benefits), and decaffeinated ranges, alongside two distinct sub-brands: Galerie du Thé, a luxury line of rare micro-scale estate teas founded by Saleh Afshar in 2021, and Kew Beyond the Leaf, a premium collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew that channels a portion of sales into biodiversity research. Its core technology is a proprietary 7-stage quality-testing protocol overseen by a specialized Tea Tasting Department, with tasters sampling up to 500 cups per day and 12,000 samples weekly at the Sri Lanka liaison office.
Ahmad Tea firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ahmad Tea
- Legal name
- Ahmad Tea Ltd.
- Website
- https://ahmadtea.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Ahmad Tea is a family-owned UK-based tea blender and packer founded in 1986, serving 90+ countries via exclusive distributors, B2B wholesale, and D2C e-commerce with a portfolio spanning black, green, cold brew, fruit, herbal, and premium sub-brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ahmad Tea industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Packaged Tea
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), RTD Iced Tea Production (AFAFABAD), Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)
Keywords
Where Ahmad Tea is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Basingstoke
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Ahmad Tea business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Tea Products: Sale of packaged tea products including black teas, green teas, fruit teas, herbal infusions, cold brew, decaf, and specialty ranges through retail and e-commerce channels.
- B2B Wholesale & Distribution: Wholesale supply of tea to distributors, retailers, and business customers globally. Exclusive distribution partnerships in each country.
- Kew Beyond the Leaf Premium Range: Premium tea collections sold with portion of proceeds supporting Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew research. Includes loose teas and teabags.
- Galerie du Thé Luxury Brand: Separate luxury tea brand offering rare, artisan teas from exclusive gardens, founded by Saleh Afshar.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail tea products |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ahmad Tea product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ahmad Tea is a family-owned British tea blender and supplier that sources tea leaves from the world's finest gardens, blends and packages them across facilities in the UK, UAE, Ukraine, and China, and distributes loose-leaf and bagged black, green, cold brew, fruit, herbal, decaf, and functional tea ranges to consumers and wholesale partners in over 90 countries. The company also runs the luxury sub-brand Galerie du Thé and the Kew Beyond the Leaf premium collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Product overview
Ahmad Tea is a family-run British tea company offering a diverse portfolio of tea products across multiple categories. The core offerings include Black Teas, Green Teas, Cold Brew Teas, Fruit Teas, Fruit & Herbal Infusions, Natural Benefits, and Decaffeinated ranges. The portfolio extends to sub-brands including Galerie du Thé (luxury artisan teas) and the Kew Beyond the Leaf Range (in partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). Supporting services include the Ahmad Tea Academy educational platform, B2B solutions for wholesale and distribution, and an extensive recipe collection. The company operates from global facilities in the UK (headquarters), UAE (flagship production), Ukraine, and China, serving over 90 countries with over 30 million cups of tea daily.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Galerie du Thé: A luxury tea brand offering rare, artisan teas from the world's most exclusive gardens. Founded on a passion for fine tea by Saleh Afshar, part of the family behind Ahmad Tea.
Products and services
- Black Teas Classic black tea blends available in teabags and loose leaf formats, including English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Assam, and Darjeeling varieties for daily consumption and hospitality.
- Green Teas Green teas sourced primarily from China, non-oxidized to retain vibrant color and antioxidant properties, available in multiple flavors including Jasmine and Mint.
- Cold Brew Teas Innovative cold brew iced tea products that brew in cold water without boiling, available in black and green tea blends with no added sugars or sweeteners.
- Fruit Teas Black or green tea blended with real fruit pieces and signature flavoring, including Blackcurrant Burst, Mango Magic, and Strawberry Sensation varieties.
- Fruit & Herbal Infusions Naturally caffeine- and sugar-free infusions made with herbs such as chamomile, ginger, and peppermint, combined with fruits for vibrant flavors.
- Natural Benefits Collection Functional tea blends designed to support mind, body, and spirit harmony using botanicals and ingredients targeted at wellness goals, including Immune, Digest, and Sleep varieties.
- Decaffeinated Range Decaffeinated versions of classic Ahmad Tea blends that retain full flavor and complexity without caffeine, making them accessible to consumers avoiding caffeine.
- Kew Beyond the Leaf Range Premium tea collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, featuring Majestic Breakfast, Splendid Ceylon, Elegant Earl Grey and Garden Afternoon blends in loose leaf and teabag formats; a portion of each sale supports Kew's research into climate change and biodiversity loss.
- Galerie du Thé Luxury tea sub-brand founded by Saleh Afshar offering rare, artisan teas from the world's most exclusive gardens, featuring micro-scale estate teas representing approximately 1% of total tea production.
- Tea Gifts Curated selection of tea gift sets and luxury packaging options designed for gifting occasions, leveraging Ahmad Tea's UK gift-market leadership.
- B2B Tea Solutions Business-to-business services including wholesale tea supply, distribution partnerships, and bubble tea wholesale offerings for commercial partners such as distributors, retailers, hotels, and food service operators.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30 million cups of tea enjoyed daily worldwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ahmad Tea
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ahmad Tea technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Ahmad Tea partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- RubyCup and AlstarminorMenstrual cup project in Kenya's Olenguruone Tea Estate, Bomet County. Providing 1,200 free reusable cups per year and community-led workshops addressing female health needs.
- University of BristolminorPartnership strengthening through funding of second scholarship at the university.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, KewcoreCollaboration on Beyond the Leaf range where a portion of each sale supports Kew's research into climate change and biodiversity loss. Ahmad Tea and consumers have contributed over $285K to Kew Gardens research.
- Child in Need Institute (CINI)corePartnership in Assam, India focusing on health and nutrition, education, child protection, and community empowerment for tea plantation workers and families. Three-year programme.
- Aurora Fine BrandscoreEsteemed distributor in Brazil since 2019, marking shared success in the Brazilian market.
- OxfamcoreLong-term partnership providing clean water projects in Niger, Africa. Achieved 86% target households with safe drinking water (from 29%), 4,600 people in eight villages with better water access, and 95% market garden producers with improved food security.
- Tominaga Boeki Kaisha Ltd. (TBK)coreJapanese distributor celebrating 100th anniversary, representing decades of partnership in the Japanese market.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ahmad Tea competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Teapigs: UK-based premium tea brand offering whole-leaf tea 'temples', matcha, and iced teas with strong DTC and supermarket presence. Comparable to Ahmad Tea on premium UK positioning, product format innovation, and tea-tasting-led branding.
- Republic of Tea: California-based specialty tea company offering premium loose-leaf teas, herbs, and functional blends through DTC and retail. Comparable to Ahmad Tea on premium tea assortment and direct-to-consumer gifting focus, with smaller scale and US-centric footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Tazo: Tea brand owned by Starbucks, focused on premium bagged and RTD teas with strong North American distribution. Comparable to Ahmad Tea on premium tea positioning and channel presence in retail and foodservice.
- PG Tips: UK's leading tea brand owned by ekaterra/Unilever, dominant in British grocery with bagged black tea. Comparable to Ahmad Tea on UK grocery presence and bagged black tea category leadership, though at mass-market price points.
- Lipton: Mass-market global tea brand owned by ekaterra (Unilever spin-off), offering black, green, and herbal teas across virtually every market. Comparable to Ahmad Tea on category overlap but operates at vastly larger scale and at value-tier positioning.
Direct peers
- Yorkshire Tea: British tea brand owned by Bettys & Taylors, known for strong regional identity and premium bagged teas in UK grocery and out-of-home. Comparable to Ahmad Tea on UK heritage, premium positioning, and tea-blending craftsmanship.
- Harney & Sons: Family-owned American premium tea company founded in 1983, offering loose-leaf and bagged teas, blends, and tea accessories with a strong direct-to-consumer and hospitality presence. Comparable to Ahmad Tea as a family-run premium tea blender with gifting and B2B channels.
- Twinings: Premium tea brand owned by Associated British Foods, offering bagged and loose-leaf black, green, and herbal teas across global retail. Closely comparable to Ahmad Tea on product category, premium positioning, and broad retail distribution.
- Tetley: Tea brand owned by Tata Consumer Products, offering black, green, fruit, and herbal teas across mass-market retail globally. Comparable to Ahmad Tea on broad tea category coverage, B2B and B2C distribution, and emphasis on bagged tea formats.
- Dilmah: Family-owned Sri Lankan tea company founded by Merrill J. Fernando in 1988, offering single-origin Ceylon teas with vertically integrated sourcing. Comparable to Ahmad Tea as a family-run premium tea brand with strong tea-master heritage and global distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ahmad Tea social profiles
Digital presenceAhmad Tea compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance10 records
Ahmad Tea financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ahmad Tea leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Ahmad Tea subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Ahmad Tea funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ahmad Tea 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 Ahmad Tea
What does Ahmad Tea do?
Ahmad Tea is a family-owned British tea blender and supplier that sources tea leaves from the world's finest gardens, blends and packages them across facilities in the UK, UAE, Ukraine, and China, and distributes loose-leaf and bagged black, green, cold brew, fruit, herbal, decaf, and functional tea ranges to consumers and wholesale partners in over 90 countries. The company also runs the luxury sub-brand Galerie du Thé and the Kew Beyond the Leaf premium collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Is Ahmad Tea a public or private company?
Ahmad Tea is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Ahmad Tea founded?
Ahmad Tea was founded in 1986. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ahmad Tea based?
Ahmad Tea is headquartered in Basingstoke, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Ahmad Tea make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Tea Products are the primary driver. The others are B2B Wholesale & Distribution, kew Beyond the Leaf Premium Range and galerie du Thé Luxury Brand.
Who are Ahmad Tea's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Teapigs and Republic of Tea. Broad incumbents are Tazo, PG Tips and Lipton. Direct peers are Yorkshire Tea, Harney & Sons, Twinings, Tetley and Dilmah.
Does Ahmad Tea have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ahmad Tea.
What industry is Ahmad Tea in?
Ahmad Tea's product category is Packaged Tea. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFADAG, Tea Blending & Flavoring, with a secondary code of CRADAHAE, Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates). Its NAICS code is 31192 and its SIC code is 2080.