LEAF

What LEAF does

LEAF is a multi-venue Liverpool-based hospitality business founded in 2007 as a small tea shop in a city centre gallery, with the stated goal of bringing quality loose-leaf tea to the city in an intimate, bohemian space. The company operates multiple café/restaurant venues across Liverpool, including LEAF on Bold St (the flagship and original location), LEAF on Smithdown Rd (housed in the former Hattons Model Railway shop), and Little LEAF (in the Cotton Exchange building on Old Hall St), alongside sister venues One Fine Day and Oh Me Oh My under the LEAF Group umbrella. Core products include over 60 rare, ethically sourced loose-leaf teas (with four proprietary blends — Secret Garden, Autumn Fire, Peppermint, and Pure Life Wellness — awarded Great Taste Awards between 2015 and 2017), freshly prepared food using locally sourced ingredients, and venue hire services for weddings and private events.

The business generates revenue across five distinct streams: on-site food and beverage sales at its physical venues, retail loose-leaf tea sales via the online LEAF Tea Shop (leafteashop.co.uk) with global delivery, wholesale tea supply to other businesses via the [email protected] channel, wedding and event venue hire (packages starting at £395 for party hire and £795 for reception hire), and gift voucher sales through the mytoggle.io platform. Go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer, with venues serving as the principal customer touchpoint and brand-building asset; distribution is supplemented by an e-commerce storefront and a B2B wholesale channel. The target customer base consists primarily of local Liverpool consumers seeking a premium tea and café experience, with a secondary segment of wholesale business customers (cafés, restaurants, retailers) sourcing LEAF's tea blends.

LEAF is a privately held, founder-owned company with no evidence of external investment, private equity involvement, or parent company ownership. The company is registered in England and Wales and operates entirely within the UK hospitality and specialty tea retail sectors. Marketing relies on organic social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook), content marketing via its journal, email newsletters, earned media from national press features, and on-site community events. There is no disclosed headcount, revenue, or funding data.

Name

LEAF

Legal name

LEAF on Bold Street

Website

https://thisisleaf.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LEAF is a privately held, multi-venue Liverpool hospitality business founded in 2007 operating tea shop cafés with over 60 rare loose-leaf teas, freshly prepared food, and wedding/event hire, serving local consumers via physical venues and online retail/wholesale tea channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Tea Shops & Cafés

NAICS

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

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes (THAFADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Tea Shops (Loose-Leaf, Tea Bars) (THAFAKAD), Milk Tea & Flavored Tea Beverage Shops (Non-Boba) (THAFAKAI), Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty tea retail
• Café and tea room
• Loose-leaf tea
• Event venue hire
• Wholesale tea supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. On-site food and beverage sales: LEAF operates café/restaurant venues offering freshly made food and loose-leaf tea for dine-in customers. Revenue is generated through on-site purchases of food, drinks, and event hire.
2. Retail loose-leaf tea sales: LEAF sells over 60 rare loose-leaf teas online and in-store. Teas are available individually and wholesale to other businesses via [email protected].
3. Gift vouchers: LEAF sells gift vouchers through an external platform (leaf.mytoggle.io), providing additional revenue from gifting occasions.
4. Wholesale tea supply: LEAF supplies its tea blends to other businesses on a wholesale basis. Businesses can enquire via [email protected].
5. Event and venue hire: LEAF offers wedding party and reception hire at its venues, with packages ranging from £395 for party hire to £795 for reception hire, plus minimum food spend requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LEAF operates specialty tea shops and cafés across Liverpool, selling over 60 rare, ethically sourced loose-leaf teas (including Great Taste Award-winning blends) alongside freshly prepared food and beverages at multiple physical venues. The company also runs an online tea retail store (leafteashop.co.uk), supplies teas wholesale to other businesses, sells gift vouchers, and hires out its venues for weddings and private events.

Product overview

LEAF is a multi-venue hospitality business operating as a tea shop and café chain in Liverpool. The core offering consists of over 60 rare loose-leaf teas (with award-winning blends like Secret Garden, Autumn Fire, Peppermint, and Pure Life Wellness), freshly prepared food using locally-sourced ingredients, and venue hire services. LEAF operates several branded venues including LEAF on Bold St., LEAF on Smithdown Rd., Little LEAF, and One Fine Day, all serving as intimate spaces for tea, food, and events. An online retail platform (LEAF Tea Shop) allows customers to purchase loose-leaf teas, accessories, and gift vouchers. The business also offers event hire for weddings and private celebrations with capacity for up to 250 guests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEAF Tea Shop: Online tea shop for purchasing loose leaf teas and accessories

Products and services

• LEAF Tea Shop (Online Store) Online retail platform for purchasing loose-leaf teas, tea accessories, and gift vouchers. All loose-leaf teas from the physical venues are available for online purchase with international delivery.
• LEAF Loose-Leaf Tea Blends Over 60 rare loose-leaf teas sourced globally, including Great Taste Award-winning blends Secret Garden, Autumn Fire, Peppermint, and Pure Life Wellness. Available for purchase online, in-store, and wholesale to other businesses.
• LEAF Food Service Freshly made food using locally sourced produce served across all LEAF venues. Menus include brunch, small plates, sandwiches, salads, sharing platters, and seasonal offerings.
• Event Hire (Weddings & Private Events) Venue hire services for weddings, receptions, and private events. The Summer Package offers reception hire from £795 and wedding party hire from £395, accommodating up to 90 seated or 250 standing guests.
• LEAF on Bold St. Original flagship LEAF location in Liverpool city centre. Described as a gallery space, tea shop, and event venue with a bohemian atmosphere.
• LEAF on Smithdown Rd. LEAF venue located in the iconic Hattons Model Railway shop building on Smithdown Road, Liverpool.
• Little LEAF LEAF venue located in the Cotton Exchange building on Old Hall Street, Liverpool. Offers food service, catering, and event hire.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Oh Me Oh MyminorOthersOh Me Oh My is a sister venue under the same ownership group as LEAF, also based in Liverpool. It is mentioned alongside LEAF and One Fine Day as part of the 'Other Leaf Group Venues'.
• One Fine DayminorOthersOne Fine Day is a sister venue under the same ownership group as LEAF, located in the Cotton Exchange building on Old Hall St, Liverpool. It is part of the LEAF Group of venues.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• T2 Tea: Australian specialty tea retailer with physical stores and global e-commerce, focusing on bold branding and experiential retail. Comparable to LEAF in store-as-experience concept and loose-leaf assortment; primarily operates outside the UK.
• Yorkshire Tea rooms / Tea Cosy (UK regional tea rooms): Independent UK tea room operators offering sit-down tea experiences with branded tea retail. Comparable dining + retail hybrid model, though primarily outside LEAF's Liverpool geography.

Broad incumbents

• Whittard of Chelsea: Long-established UK tea retailer with hundreds of loose-leaf SKUs, physical stores, and a strong online tea shop. Directly comparable product category and channel mix; much larger scale and national footprint than LEAF.
• Yorkshire Tea (Betty's Tea Rooms heritage): UK grocery-leading tea brand with strong foodservice and hospitality presence. Comparable channel exposure to LEAF's wholesale tea supply business.
• Twinings: Heritage British tea brand with broad UK grocery, hospitality, and HoReCa distribution. Comparable competitor in specialty and loose-leaf tea; vastly larger scale and brand reach.

Direct peers

• Bird & Blend Tea Co. UK-based specialty tea brand and tea bar chain selling loose-leaf blends direct online and through multiple physical stores. Comparable to LEAF in product (rare loose-leaf teas, proprietary blends), channel mix (DTC + retail), and customer base (tea enthusiasts seeking premium blends).
• Teapigs: UK premium whole-leaf tea brand with strong DTC e-commerce, subscription model, and grocery presence. Comparable in target customer (premium tea drinker), product positioning (whole loose-leaf), and channel mix (DTC-led).
• Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate: Iconic Yorkshire tea room operator combining fine-dining cafés with a wholesale tea division (Yorkshire Tea). Closest UK peer to LEAF in combining physical tea room hospitality with branded tea retail/wholesale.

Emerging players

• Hope & Greenwood: UK independent tea and confectionery brand with physical London tea shops and online retail. Comparable boutique tea shop concept and celebration-focused positioning.
• Postcard Teas: London-based specialist tea retailer focused on single-origin rare loose-leaf teas with expert-led tastings. Directly comparable rare/ethically sourced loose-leaf positioning and expert-staff serving model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/leafonboldst
• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/user/leafteashop
• Facebookfacebook.com/LEAFonBoldSt
• Instagraminstagram.com/leafonboldst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 LEAF