CLIPPER TEAS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF ORGANIC AND ETHICAL TEA
Dorset-based Tea Pioneer Marks Milestone Anniversary with Special Event, Industry Speakers, and Future-Focused Initiatives
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Clipper Teas, the UK’s pioneer in organic and Fairtrade tea, is proudly celebrating 40 years of disrupting the tea industry.
From humble beginnings in Dorset in 1984 to becoming a global name in ethical tea, Clipper remains at the forefront of environmental innovation and Fairtrade leadership.
To mark this significant milestone, the team at Clipper Teas’ parent company, Ecotone, gathered at their production facility in Beaminster, Dorset, for a special celebration.
The event featured inspiring talks from industry leaders Lee Holdstock of the Soil Association and Anna Mann from the Fairtrade Foundation.
Both speakers highlighted Clipper’s positive contributions to people and the planet, from climate-positive farming practices and soil health that protects biodiversity to advocating for fair wages and improved working conditions for farmers around the world.
Holdstock and Mann joined the Clipper team to plant tea bushes at the Dorset factory, with hopes that one day these plants will yield a special batch of locally-grown tea—a tribute to Clipper’s future ambitions and mission.
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In attendance was Lorraine Brehme, who together with husband Mike, launched Clipper in Dorset with just two chests of Assam and Darjeeling tea.
Their vision was simple but revolutionary: producing tea like it used to taste, without compromising on ethics.
This led Clipper to become the first UK tea brand to carry the Fairtrade mark in 1994, helping to write the very first Fairtrade tea standards.
Reflecting on the occasion, Daniel Parr, Clipper’s Research & Development leader at Ecotone UK, shared his thoughts:
Celebrating Clipper’s 40th birthday was a meaningful experience for me, having been with the company for over two decades. I had the privilege of being mentored by Mike and Lorraine, who instilled in me the core values that make Clipper so special.
Over the years, I’ve also had the honour of working closely with my colleague and good friend, James Ikin, as we’ve travelled to tea estates across the world to build strong relationships with our suppliers and bring Fairtrade and organic tea to millions of people.
Clipper now produces over 1 billion tea bags with 84 Fairtrade products a year - and exports to more than 50 countries worldwide. Yet, it all remains rooted in Dorset, where the brand is still blended and packed today.
Known for industry firsts, Clipper brought the first green tea to UK supermarket shelves and launched fully biodegradable, unbleached tea bags—a ground-breaking step in reducing environmental impact.
Key Milestones in Clipper Teas’ 40-Year Journey:
1984 – Clipper Teas is founded in Dorset, UK
1994 – Becomes the first UK tea brand to carry the Fairtrade mark
1996 – Launches the first green tea in UK supermarkets
2012 – Acquired by Ecotone, a natural food company
2018 – Launches the world’s first biodegradable and unbleached tea bag
2019 – Achieves B-Corp certification alongside parent company Ecotone
2024 – Debut sponsor at the iconic Glastonbury Festival
2024 – Clipper celebrates 30 years of Fairtrade alongside its 40th birthday
As Clipper looks ahead to the next 40 years, the brand remains committed to pushing the boundaries of sustainable and ethical tea production while staying true to the values that have defined its success.
Adele Ward, Clipper’s Marketing Director at Ecotone UK, says:
Our support for Fairtrade includes the Fairtrade Premium which farming co-operatives can spend on areas where it is most needed in their communities. Clipper has raised £6.8m for the Premium in 30 years which has been spent on important infrastructure, education facilities, medical equipment and climate change mitigation. It’s reasons like this that we call Clipper the good tea brand.
Earlier this year, Clipper launched its new campaign: ‘There’s Tea, Then There’s GOOD Tea’ which acknowledges that good tea is about more than just taste – pointing to ethical and sustainable sourcing, natural ingredients and biodiversity protection as the core principles for a truly good cuppa. With its iconic joyful singing bird, Clipper’s tv advert will return to TV screens in the new year.
