The Luxmi group has picked up an 80 per cent stake in a UK-based seller of orthodox teas, marking the first acquisition by the Calcutta-based company of an overseas tea retailer.
Established in Manchester, Brew Tea Co, which sells premium whole-leaf (orthodox) teas through a direct-to-consumer subscription model in the UK, will now be majority owned by the Luxmi group, even as the present management of the British firm will continue to run the business.
“Working with the founders of Brew Tea to align our shared vision of bringing farm-fresh, premium teas directly to consumers is a meaningful step forward for Luxmi Tea,” Rudra Chatterjee, managing director of Luxmi Group, said.
The Luxmi group has grown over the years by strategic buyouts of estates in India and Africa. In FY25, it produced 35 million kilos of tea, including 10 million kg in Rwanda, Africa. In India, the bulk of the production is from Assam, even as the crown jewel of the Chatterjee family-owned enterprise is in Bengal, the celebrated Makaibari garden in Darjeeling.
The group currently derives roughly 20 per cent of its revenue from branded tea sales, with the remainder coming from bulk exports to third parties. The acquisition of Brew Tea Co, founded by Phil and Aideen Kirby, marks a step in increasing the share of premium branded teas within the portfolio — an area that offers stronger margins and greater long-term value.
Chatterjee emphasised that Brew Tea Co, which now reaches over 10,000 homes across the UK, would continue to independently source the best teas.
“We see this partnership not just as a commercial opportunity, but as a way to deepen our understanding of the consumer — insights that will inform how we grow as producers and create sustained value for all our stakeholders,” Chatterjee said.
“Sourcing from estates that share our values — with care for people, land and craftsmanship — is what makes our tea taste as good as it does. This partnership will allow us to strengthen those relationships at the source,” Phil Kirby said.
Brew Tea’s focus on the orthodox variety comes at a time tea production has steadily moved towards CTC, catering to the global demand for bagged teas.