Whittard of Chelsea

How ethical and sustainable is Whittard of Chelsea?

The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Tea Ratings Table includes the tea brand, Whittard of Chelsea. Whittard of Chelsea receives a high Good Shopping Guide ethical score in our Ethical Tea Ratings Table and passes our ethical benchmark to be considered a good ethical brand.

For more information on the significance of organic tea, visit The Good Shopping Guide to Ethical Tea. You can also compare Whittard of Chelsea to other brands in our Ethical Tea Rating Table.

What does Whittard of Chelsea do?

Whittard of Chelsea was founded in 1886 by Walter Whittard at the age of 25 initially producing tea, coffee and hot chocolate in his first store on Fleet Street. After the war, the main warehouses were destroyed resulting in the brand’s relocation to Chelsea in 1941. The brand opened its flagship store in Covent Garden in 1999 producing loose-leaf tea, aromatic coffee and creative hot chocolate.

Read more about Whittard of Chelsea’s history here.

Whittard of Chelsea was bought by Epic Private Equity LLP in 2008. The brand now sells a large range of organic tea, coffee and hot chocolate.

In which areas does Whittard of Chelsea score well for its ethics?

Whittard of Chelsea performs well in several categories within our Tea assessment.

Notably, Whittard of Chelsea receives a top rating in the Organic category. This is because the brand has lots of teas certified as organic by the Soil Association.

Additionally, as neither Whittard of Chelsea nor its parent company, Epic Private Equity, have been linked to the nuclear power, fossil fuels or weapons industries, the company receives a top rating under our Nuclear Power, Fossil Fuels and Armaments categories.

How can Whitard of Chelsea improve its ethical rating?

Due to its high score, Whittard of Chelsea is eligible for Ethical Accreditation from The Good Shopping Guide. Ethical Accreditation would be a good next step for this brand as it gives the brand a certificate to further authenticate its efforts to become an ethical brand.

Additionally, Whittard of Chelsea should aim to obtain Fairtrade certification and improve its public sustainability commitments, which would see the brand rise further on our Ethical Tea ratings.

If you work for or with a tea company that prioritises ethics highly, why not look into The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation? Tea manufacturers, such as Wunder Workshop, have benefited from this accreditation of sustainability and ethics. To learn more about this prestigious sustainability certification, get in touch with us, or fill out our quick form to get started.