Makaibari estate owner ups branded play with British buyout

The acquisition of Brew Tea, a British tea brand, would help Luxmi Group—owner of the iconic Makaibari tea estate in Darjeeling—expand its branded portfolio and strengthen its presence in the international market, the Indian firm said.

- Ishita Ayan Dutt

Luxmi Group announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Brew Tea last week. Founded in Manchester by Phil and Aideen Kirby, Brew Tea Co prides itself on using rolled whole-leaf teas, no dust, no mass-market short-cuts. With a digital-first model, it now reaches about 10,000 homes across the UK.

Phil and Kirby would retain a 20 per cent stake and continue to lead Brew Tea Co as part of the arrangement, while Luxmi would have 80 per cent.

For Luxmi, the Brew Tea deal ticks key boxes in its strategy, mainly focusing on quality and branding.

Brew Tea offers some of the finest Assam, Darjeeling, and African orthodox leaf teas, says Rudra Chatterjee, managing director, Luxmi Group.

“These are among the highest quality teas in the black tea category. The premium pricing reflects this, as whole leaf teas command a premium over CTC and broken leaf varieties,” he said.