The Tea Makers

What The Tea Makers does

The Tea Makers (of London) is a family-owned, privately held specialist tea company headquartered just outside London in Dartford, UK, founded in 2010 and operating with 1-10 employees. The company sources single-origin estate teas with full farm-to-cup traceability from seven major tea-growing regions — China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa, and the USA — and distributes them through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (Shopify-based) plus a B2B trade channel serving hotels, restaurants, and cafés. Its portfolio spans 166 SKUs across Black, Green, White, Oolong, Pu-erh, Matcha, Herbal, Fruity, Rooibos, Chai, Flowering, Iced, and Rare/Limited tea categories, plus teaware, matcha accessories, gift sets, and e-gift cards.

The company's core proprietary technology is the Triune™ pyramid-shaped teabag — a 100% biodegradable, plastic-free mesh bag made from corn starch that holds 3-3.5g of tea and permits full leaf expansion without altering the loose-leaf format. Sourcing operations emphasize direct estate relationships (e.g., Satemwa in Malawi, Glenburn and Jungpana in Darjeeling, Lumbini in Sri Lanka) with traditional processing methods such as slow stone-grinding of matcha at ~30g per hour. The company holds Soil Association Organic Certification and Carbon Neutral Business status, and has won Great Taste Awards every year from 2019 through 2026 across multiple products.

The business model combines one-time e-commerce sales (with UK free shipping over £40), subscription recurring revenue via the Rewards Club (10% subscription discount, flexible monthly/bi-monthly/quarterly delivery, 5% Tea Credits, milestone gifts, referral rewards), B2B trade supply with training and corporate gifting, and gift-set/hamper sales. Customer segments divide into tea enthusiasts and connoisseurs (primary), trade and hospitality (primary), subscription customers (secondary), and gift buyers (secondary). Marketing runs through Tea Journal content, email newsletters, organic social, Google Ads, referral/affiliate, and Trustpilot reviews, with strategic co-branding via the National Portrait Gallery and a charity partnership with SANE.

Name

The Tea Makers

Legal name

The Tea Makers of London

Website

https://theteamakers.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Tea Makers (of London) is a family-owned, bootstrapped UK specialty tea company that sources single-origin estate teas globally and sells them through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront, a subscription Rewards Club, a B2B trade channel into hotels, restaurants, and cafés, and a gift/hampers vertical.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Tea

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Coffee & Tea Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAH)

Keywords

• Single-origin tea
• Loose-leaf specialty tea
• Biodegradable teabags
• Tea subscription service
• Premium teaware

Headquarters

HQ city

Dartford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Tea Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling loose-leaf teas, teabags, and teaware directly to consumers through their online store. Products sold in various formats including 50g taster packs, standard caddies, and subscription boxes.
2. Subscription/Recurring Revenue: Rewards Club subscription model offering 10% discount on subscription orders, flexible delivery schedules (monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly), with no commitments or minimums. Generates recurring revenue through automatic order processing.
3. Trade/B2B Wholesale: Supply to hotels, restaurants, and cafés. Services include serving, training, retailing, and corporate gifting for trade enquiries.
4. Gift Products: Sales of gift boxes, hampers, flowering tea gift sets, matcha gift sets, and e-gift cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Tea Makers of London sources, curates, and distributes single-origin estate teas with full farm-to-cup traceability across 166+ products spanning black, green, white, oolong, pu-erh, matcha, herbal, rooibos, chai, flowering, and iced tea categories. Products are available in loose-leaf format, proprietary biodegradable Triune™ pyramid teabags, and individually wrapped envelopes, complemented by teaware, matcha accessories, gift sets, and a recurring Rewards Club subscription service. The company also operates a trade/B2B channel supplying hotels, restaurants, and cafés with tea, training, and corporate gifting services.

Product overview

The Tea Makers of London is a family-owned specialty tea company offering a comprehensive portfolio of single-origin, fully traceable teas and tea accessories. The core product portfolio spans multiple tea categories including Black Tea (27 products), Green Tea, White Tea, Oolong Tea, Pu-erh Tea, Matcha, Herbal Tea, Fruity Tea, Rooibos Tea, Chai Tea, Flowering Tea, and Ice Tea. Products are available in loose-leaf format, premium biodegradable Triune™ teabags, and individually wrapped envelopes. The company also offers complementary teaware including teapots, cups, strainers, and matcha preparation accessories. Additional offerings include a Rewards Club loyalty program, subscription services with flexible delivery schedules, tea discovery sample collections, rare and limited release teas, organic-certified teas, and e-gift cards. The company positions itself as a specialist in single-origin estate teas with deeply rooted connections to tea producers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Black Tea Collection Single-origin, loose-leaf black teas from renowned tea-growing regions including Assam, Darjeeling, Sri Lanka, and China, featuring 27 products.
• Green Tea Collection Luxury loose-leaf green teas from China and Japan including Sencha, Dragon Well, Gyokuro, and Matcha powders.
• White Tea Collection Premium white teas sourced from renowned tea-growing regions including China, India, and Sri Lanka, featuring low caffeine content and delicate floral notes.
• Oolong Tea Collection

Quantifiable outcome

• Great Taste Award recognition for multiple products including Imperial Matcha (2-star 2026), Ceremonial Matcha (1-star 2021), Supreme Earl Grey (1-star 2019)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Portrait GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative teabag collection pairing The Tea Makers' luxury teas with stunning portraits of British royalty from the Gallery collection. Includes limited edition teabag offerings such as Queen Elizabeth I Organic Vanilla Rooibos and Queen Charlotte Flowering Tea Bulbs.
• SANE (Mental Health Charity)minorOthersCharity partnership where 100% of profits from the SANE Tea Break Blend go to support SANE's mental health work. Collaboration created to support their amazing work in the mental health sector.
• Hotels, Restaurants & CaféscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade services for hospitality businesses including serving, training, retailing, and corporate gifting. Their teas are enjoyed in top establishments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harney & Sons: US-based premium tea company selling estate-sourced and blended teas direct-to-consumer, through hotels and via wholesale. Highly comparable on single-origin sourcing, hospitality channel, premium positioning and global shipping.
• Teapigs: UK-based premium tea brand selling whole leaf teas in distinctive mesh 'tea temples' direct-to-consumer and through hospitality channels. Closely comparable on product format, pyramid teabag innovation, D2C gifting, and UK specialty positioning.
• Whittard of Chelsea: Long-established UK specialty tea retailer offering loose-leaf teas, teaware and gift sets across own stores and e-commerce. Directly comparable on premium tea assortment, gifting, teaware bundling and UK consumer brand recognition.
• Adagio Teas: US-based online specialty tea retailer offering a deep catalogue of loose-leaf teas, samplers and accessories with strong customer reviews. Comparable on D2C-only model, broad SKU catalogue, sampling/discovery sets and review-driven merchandising.
• Postcard Teas: UK London-based specialty tea shop focused on single-origin, single-estate loose-leaf teas with a small curated assortment. Comparable on single-origin provenance, London specialist positioning and premium price point.
• Canton Tea: UK specialty tea company sourcing premium teas directly from Asian estates, sold via subscription and online. Closely comparable on direct-sourcing model, subscription offering and premium UK D2C positioning.
• T2 Tea: Australian-born premium tea retailer with strong design-led branding, broad loose-leaf assortment, teaware and international stores. Comparable on specialty tea assortment, gifting, teaware cross-sell and D2C-led growth.
• Mariage Frères: French heritage luxury tea merchant offering single-estate and flavoured teas via boutique stores and international e-commerce. Comparable on premium loose-leaf assortment, single-origin provenance and gift-led positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Fortnum & Mason: Iconic British luxury retailer with a flagship tea assortment, hampers and teaware sold globally. Comparable on premium tea curation, gifting and international shipping, though Tea Makers is a specialist while F&M operates a much broader luxury portfolio.
• Twinings: Historic UK tea brand with broad assortment across loose-leaf, bagged and specialty lines sold globally through retail and foodservice. Comparable as a benchmark competitor in UK specialty tea, though Twinings operates at mass and mainstream premium scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theteamakers
• Facebookfacebook.com/theteamakers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-tea-makers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Tea Makers