Newby Teas is a luxury tea company headquartered in London, UK. The company forms part of the N. Sethia Group and was established in 2000.
Initially, the company’s main focus was the hotel sector. In its early years Newby Teas expanded internationally, opening an office in Russia which was to become one of its key markets. Since 2000, it has also opened offices in Switzerland, Singapore, Poland, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, India, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Sweden and the Netherlands. Its products are also available in Japan via a distributor.
After establishing a retail presence in countries including Russia and India, the company also sells a selection of its products through UK stores including Waitrose, John Lewis and Harvey Nichols, as well as an online store serving the UK mainland.
Newby Teas are offered in high-end hotels, including those of Marriott, Starwood, Hilton and Four Seasons, and sold at heritage destinations including Blenheim Palace.
Timeline
- Key events in the company history include:
- 2000 – company founded in London, UK
- 2001 - office in Russia opens
- 2003 – company enters the Kazakhstan market
- 2005 – a state-of-the-art production facility is opened in Kolkata, India, featuring air purifications systems, temperature control and humidity control systems
- 2007 – office in the United Arab Emirates opens, located in Dubai
- 2007 – Newby Teas joins the Ethical Tea Partnership
- 2008 – the company launches a short-lived gourmet coffee range, Newby Imperial
- 2008 – office in Poland opens
- 2010 - Newby enters the Indian hotel and retail markets, creating a subsidiary company and opening offices in Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai
- 2011 – offices in Norway and Switzerland open
- 2012 – Newby launches the Chitra Collection, a collection of tea-themed antiques
- 2013 – offices in Singapore and Sweden open
- 2014 – Newby products enter UK retail market via Ocado and Waitrose
- 2014 – office in Netherlands opens
- 2015 – Newby launches its products in Benelux
Production
The Newby Teas production facility in Kolkata, established in 2005, is believed to be the only one of its kind in the tea industry. The technology employed at the plant keeps the tea in optimal condition, through systems of temperature and humidity control and air purification. Practices have been developed to reduce the time taken to blend, package and transport teas significantly. The plant has achieved an ‘A’ rating from the British Retail Consortium’s Global Standards program of quality certification every year since 2005.
Awards
To May 2015, Newby products have won more than 30 prizes at the North American Tea Championship, and more than 60 Great Taste Awards in the UK.
In 2014, the packaging design for its Gourmet Collection range of teas won a Pentaward, awarded at a ceremony in Tokyo on 9th Oct 2014.
Ethics
Newby Teas is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP), an organisation which aims to improve the lives and environment of tea workers throughout the world. Many Newby products feature the ETP logo on their packaging.
Charity
Newby Teas is part-owned by the N. Sethia Foundation, a UK-registered charity founded in 1995 by the company’s chairman Nirmal Sethia. The charitable foundation has supported international projects in the areas of education, medical research, disaster relief and hunger prevention.
Among its UK work, N. Sethia Foundation provided funding to establish the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre in Cambridge, named in honour of Sethia’s late wife. This centre provides diagnostic support and advice to those affected by the condition, and functions as a drop-in centre for local autism support groups.
Other medical charities which have received the support of the foundation include the British Cardiac Research Trust, Diabetes UK and Children with Leukaemia.
The Chitra Collection
The Chitra Collection is a privately held collection of tea antiques jointly owned by Newby Teas and the N. Sethia Foundation. It forms part of Nirmal Sethia’s mission to revive tea culture as it once was, and includes many intricate and unique pieces from celebrated craftsmen such as Faberge, Paul Storr, Tiffany and Co. A newly commissioned range of teapots designed by Sethia himself, and crafted by Italian jeweller Scavia, also feature in the collection.
External links[]
The website is [1]