Clipper Teas Limited
Clipper Teas Limited is a UK-based producer of organic and Fairtrade tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, founded in 1984, selling 150+ products in 50+ countries and serving retail consumers, food service operators, and international distributors from its Beaminster, Dorset factory.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersBeaminster, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Clipper Teas Limited does
Clipper Teas Limited is a UK-based producer of organic and Fairtrade tea, coffee, and hot chocolate products, founded in 1984 in Dorset and operating from a manufacturing facility in Beaminster that produces over 1 billion teabags annually across more than 150 SKUs. The company sells through all major UK supermarket chains (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, ASDA, Morrisons, Ocado), its own e-commerce shop, online marketplaces, and a food service channel served by appointed UK distributors (Kingdom Coffee, Bidfood, Brakes, Bunzl, CPD Direct). Its core technical differentiators are the world's first plant-based, biodegradable, unbleached, non-GM PLA tea bags (launched 2018), a CO2-based organic decaffeination process, and decades of master tea blending expertise sourced from estates in Africa, India, and Sri Lanka.
Clipper holds pioneering positions in ethical sourcing as the UK's first Fairtrade tea company (1994) and the world's largest Fairtrade tea brand (since 2019), supporting over 114,000 producers and delivering more than £4 million in Fairtrade premiums over 25 years. The company carries multiple certifications (Fairtrade, Soil Association Organic, EU Organic, B Corp, Non-GMO, Carbon Neutral) and has won over 60 Great Taste Awards across 20 years. Distribution extends to 50+ countries with localized websites in nine markets, and the brand runs ecosystem-level initiatives including the National Trust Save the Bees campaign and Glastonbury Festival supply partnership.
Clipper generates revenue through straightforward unit sales of physical consumer packaged goods (tea, coffee, hot chocolate, gift boxes) at retail and food service price points, with no subscription, SaaS, or recurring contractual layer. Since 2012 it has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ecotone (formerly Wessanen), a European organic food group, which funds the business internally rather than via venture capital or public equity. The strategic focus is on premium ethical positioning, certification-led differentiation, and incremental geographic and category expansion rather than rapid scaling.
Clipper Teas Limited firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clipper Teas Limited
- Legal name
- Clipper Teas
- Website
- https://clipper-teas.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Clipper Teas Limited is a UK-based producer of organic and Fairtrade tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, founded in 1984, selling 150+ products in 50+ countries and serving retail consumers, food service operators, and international distributors from its Beaminster, Dorset factory.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clipper Teas Limited industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Tea and Hot Beverages
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Instant Tea, Tea Extracts & Concentrates Manufacturing (AFAFADAH)
Keywords
Where Clipper Teas Limited is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beaminster
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Clipper Teas Limited business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Tea Products: Core revenue from selling tea products across multiple categories including black tea, green tea, white tea, and herbal/fruit infusions. Products sold in various pack sizes through retail and food service channels.
- Coffee Products: Fairtrade organic coffee including instant, roast & ground varieties. All coffees use organic, Fairtrade coffee beans from suppliers they know and trust.
- Hot Chocolate Products: Hot chocolate products made with Fairtrade cocoa and sugar. Both instant and drinking chocolate varieties available.
- Gift Products: Gift box selections featuring variety packs of organic teas and herbal infusions. Premium positioning for gifting occasions.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Clipper Teas Limited product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clipper Teas Limited produces and sells an organic and Fairtrade range of over 150 hot beverage products, including black tea, green tea, white tea, herbal infusions, instant and roast & ground coffee, hot chocolate, and tea gift packs. All products are blended and packed at the company's Beaminster, Dorset factory and distributed through UK supermarkets, online retail, food service wholesalers, and a network of international distributors reaching more than 50 countries.
Product overview
Clipper Teas Limited is a UK-based tea company offering a diversified portfolio of hot beverages and related products. The product portfolio spans multiple categories including Black Tea (Organic Everyday, Classic Everyday, Organic Decaf, Organic English Breakfast, Organic Earl Grey, Organic Decaf Earl Grey), Green Tea (Organic Fairtrade Pure Green, Green Tea & Lemon, Organic Decaf Green), White Tea, Infusions/Rooibos (including Peppermint, Nettle, Liquorice, Fennel, Chamomile, Dandelion, Sleep Easy, Lemon & Ginger, Ginger & Turmeric, Sleep Time), Coffee (Instant and Roast & Ground varieties including Latin American, House Blend, Rich Roast, Italian Style, Papua New Guinea), Hot Chocolate (Drinking Chocolate and Instant Hot Chocolate), and Tea Gifts. All products are characterized by organic and Fairtrade certifications, with the company pioneering plant-based biodegradable tea bags. The company operates primarily in the UK with distribution to over 50 countries worldwide, blending all products in their Beaminster, Dorset factory.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Organic Black Tea Range Organic and Fairtrade black teas including everyday blends, English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and CO2 decaffeinated variants in 40- and 80-bag pack sizes, blended in Beaminster and sold across UK supermarkets and international retail.
- Organic Green Tea Range Organic and Fairtrade green teas including Pure Green, Green Tea & Lemon, and Decaf Green variants for everyday refreshment, sold in 40- and 80-bag pack sizes.
- Organic White Tea
Quantifiable outcome
- Over £4 million in Fairtrade premiums delivered to producer communities over 25 years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Clipper Teas Limited
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Clipper Teas Limited technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Clipper Teas Limited partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Glastonbury FestivalcoreOfficial Tea Supplier to Glastonbury Festival with limited edition Glastonbury tea packs. Includes prize draw for festival tickets and donations to local nature charities (Food Forest Project, Nature Buzz, Shepton Mallet Community Woodland) totaling 15p per pack sold.
- National TrustcoreSave the Bees campaign partnership supporting National Trust's Making Meadows appeal. Donation of 10p per pack from 500,000 Clipper Tea packs (£50,000 total) to restore and protect wildflower meadows and wildlife habitats. Addresses bee conservation and biodiversity loss from non-organic farming.
- Food Forest ProjectminorLocal nature charity creating sustainable growing spaces providing fresh organic food and community hubs. One of three Dorset/Somerset area nature projects receiving donations from Glastonbury pack sales.
- Nature BuzzminorNatural beekeepers practicing considerate approach to bees to minimize disruption and stress. Partnership through Glastonbury Festival donations supporting biodiversity initiatives.
- Shepton Mallet Community WoodlandminorCommunity woodland caring for 7.5ha space promoting environmental sustainability and community engagement. One of three local nature projects receiving donations from Glastonbury pack sales.
- Fairtrade Foundationcore25+ year partnership since 1994. Clipper was UK's first Fairtrade tea company and helped write Fairtrade Standards. World's largest buyer of Fairtrade tea supporting 114,000+ producers. Delivered over £4m in Fairtrade premiums.
- Kingdom CoffeecoreUK national distributor based in Reading, Berkshire. Part of Clipper's distribution network for food service channel providing next-day delivery for catering and hospitality businesses.
- BidfoodcoreUK national distributor serving catering, hospitality, and foodservice establishments. Part of Clipper's appointed distribution network providing flexible and efficient delivery.
- BrakescoreUK national distributor for food service channel. Part of Clipper's trusted distribution partners serving hotels, restaurants, cafes, and corporate catering.
- BunzlcoreUK national distributor for catering and hospitality sector. Part of Clipper's distribution network providing efficient and reliable supply for food service customers.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Clipper Teas Limited competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Teapigs: UK premium whole-leaf tea brand selling tea temples and loose-leaf teas through grocery, food service and own e-commerce. Emerging player in premium/ethical tea with similar positioning to Clipper's higher-end infusions.
- Healthia Tea / Traditional Medicinals: US-based organic herbal tea brand. Emerging player in organic wellness teas with similar Fairtrade/organic positioning and distribution in health-focused retail channels.
Regional players
- Waitrose Duchy Organic (organic grocery brand): UK premium organic grocery brand stocked primarily in Waitrose. Regional UK player in organic teas and groceries, competing on the same premium-organic shelf positioning as Clipper.
Direct peers
- Tetley: Major UK bagged tea brand (Tata Consumer Products). Direct competitor in mass-market and food service teabags across UK retail and out-of-home channels.
- PG Tips (Unilever): One of the UK's largest mass-market tea brands, owned by Unilever. Direct competitor in mainstream UK grocery teabags with overlapping food service presence; a key share rival for Clipper on supermarket shelves.
- Yorkshire Tea (Bettys & Taylors): UK heritage tea brand owned by Bettys & Taylors, distributed through major supermarkets and food service. Direct competitor in UK bagged tea with comparable premium-positioned grocery presence.
- Pukka Herbs: UK organic herbal tea and infusion brand (acquired by Unilever in 2017). Direct competitor in organic herbal infusions with similar ethical/positioning and overlapping UK grocery and food service distribution.
- Twinings: Long-established UK tea brand (owned by AB Foods) selling black, green, herbal and specialty teas through grocery, food service and global retail. Most direct comparable to Clipper on category, UK retail distribution, and food service channel.
Others
- Cupper Teas (Ecotone sister brand): Other organic/Fairtrade tea brand within the Ecotone group. Sister brand to Clipper under the same parent, sold in complementary European markets (e.g., cupper-teas.de) rather than overlapping UK distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Twinings (ABF) - hot beverage parent context: Associated British Foods (ABF) is a large diversified food group whose grocery brands span tea, sugar, and other grocery categories. Relevant as a broad incumbent spanning the same retail aisles where Clipper competes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clipper Teas Limited social profiles
Digital presenceClipper Teas Limited compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Clipper Teas Limited financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clipper Teas Limited leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Clipper Teas Limited funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clipper Teas Limited 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 Clipper Teas Limited
What does Clipper Teas Limited do?
Clipper Teas Limited produces and sells an organic and Fairtrade range of over 150 hot beverage products, including black tea, green tea, white tea, herbal infusions, instant and roast & ground coffee, hot chocolate, and tea gift packs. All products are blended and packed at the company's Beaminster, Dorset factory and distributed through UK supermarkets, online retail, food service wholesalers, and a network of international distributors reaching more than 50 countries.
Is Clipper Teas Limited a public or private company?
Clipper Teas Limited is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Clipper Teas Limited founded?
Clipper Teas Limited was founded in 1984. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Clipper Teas Limited based?
Clipper Teas Limited is headquartered in Beaminster, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Clipper Teas Limited make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tea Products are the primary driver. The others are coffee Products, hot Chocolate Products and gift Products.
Who are Clipper Teas Limited's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Teapigs and Healthia Tea / Traditional Medicinals. Waitrose Duchy Organic (organic grocery brand) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Tetley, PG Tips (Unilever), Yorkshire Tea (Bettys & Taylors), Pukka Herbs and Twinings. Cupper Teas (Ecotone sister brand) is listed as an others. Twinings (ABF) - hot beverage parent context is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Clipper Teas Limited have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clipper Teas Limited.
What industry is Clipper Teas Limited in?
Clipper Teas Limited's product category is Specialty Tea and Hot Beverages. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAHAE, Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates), with a secondary code of AFAFADAG, Tea Blending & Flavoring. Its NAICS code is 31192 and its SIC code is 2000.