Clipper Teas
A British organic and Fairtrade tea brand founded in Dorset and known for natural ingredients, ethical sourcing, and environmentally oriented packaging.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Clipper Teas is a British tea brand established in 1984 by Lorraine and Mike Brehme in Dorset. The business began as a small-scale operation run from the couple's kitchen, using two chests of Assam tea purchased for £50 and sold to health-food shops in the local area. Its founding rationale was ethical as well as commercial: the founders were concerned about exploitation and increasing reports of child labour in tea production, and sought to offer a more responsible alternative to conventional tea. From its origins, Clipper developed a product philosophy centred on tea and coffee made without artificial ingredients. The brand became associated with organic products, Fairtrade sourcing, and a broad range of conventional and herbal infusions. Its portfolio includes black tea, green tea, decaffeinated tea, fruit and herbal infusions, specialty blends, and coffee. Clipper's ethical positioning is linked to long-term participation in the Fairtrade movement and to sourcing tea from estates where workers are not exploited. Clipper was involved with the Fairtrade Foundation during the organisation's early policy-development period. In 1994, it was among the first three companies in the United Kingdom to receive the Fairtrade Mark. The brand subsequently used educational communications, including its Teapot Times magazine, to explain tea production and the community effects associated with Fairtrade purchasing. It also served as an adviser to the Fairtrade Foundation on tea-related matters. Ownership changed as the company expanded. In 2007, after the founders' divorce, Clipper was sold to Fleming Family & Partners, an investment fund backed by one of the United Kingdom's wealthier families. In 2008, creative agency Perry Haydn Taylor worked on a major rebrand, introducing new packaging and the slogan "Natural, fair & delicious." The redesign helped give the brand a more distinctive visual identity while retaining its ethical and natural-product claims. In 2012, Clipper was acquired by Royal Wessanen, a European organic and natural-foods group that later became known as Ecotone. Following the acquisition, exports reportedly increased substantially and the Beaminster manufacturing facility was expanded through capital investment. Clipper remained closely associated with Dorset production while developing a wider international presence. In some European markets, including Germany, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic, it is sold under the name Cupper Tea because the Clipper name was already registered by another tea brand in Germany. By 2022, Clipper was described as the sixth-largest tea brand in the United Kingdom, with exports to more than 50 countries. The range comprised approximately 95 varieties, and production capacity was reported at up to two million tea bags per day. The brand's market position combines mainstream distribution with premium and ethical credentials: organic certification, Fairtrade sourcing, natural formulations, and packaging choices intended to reduce environmental impact. Clipper is currently part of Ecotone's portfolio of organic and sustainably positioned food brands.
History
Clipper Teas was founded in 1984 by Lorraine and Mike Brehme in Dorset, England. The founders had experience in the tea industry and became concerned about labour exploitation, including the reported growth of child labour in tea production. They established Clipper as an ethical alternative, beginning with two chests of Assam tea bought for £50. The tea was stored and prepared from their Dorset kitchen before being sold to local health-food shops. The founders defined the brand around a simple product philosophy: tea and coffee should be natural and free from artificial ingredients. This approach was combined with a commitment to organic products and Fairtrade sourcing. Clipper became involved with the Fairtrade Foundation during the movement's early development and contributed to discussions concerning tea policy. In 1994, the company was among the first three UK businesses to receive the Fairtrade Mark. It later published The Teapot Times, a magazine explaining tea-growing practices, the history of tea production, and the potential social effects of buying Fairtrade goods. Clipper also acted as an adviser to the Fairtrade Foundation on tea. The business expanded beyond its original local-market base as demand for organic and ethically sourced beverages grew. Its range developed to include black and green teas, fruit and herbal infusions, decaffeinated products, and coffee. Clipper's packaging and communications increasingly presented the brand as both natural and socially responsible. In 2007, following the divorce of the founders, Clipper was sold to Fleming Family & Partners. The transaction was reported at approximately £25 million to £30 million. The new ownership period was followed by a significant brand redesign in 2008. Perry Haydn Taylor's creative agency created new packaging and introduced the slogan "Natural, fair & delicious," strengthening Clipper's visual identity while retaining its core ethical claims. Royal Wessanen acquired Clipper in 2012 for a reported sum of about £50 million. Royal Wessanen later adopted the name Ecotone and became a major international group focused on organic and sustainably positioned food. After the acquisition, Clipper's export activity grew and its Beaminster manufacturing operation was expanded with capital investment. The brand continued to produce in Dorset while serving customers outside the United Kingdom. The Clipper name is not used in every market. In Germany, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic, the products are marketed as Cupper Tea because another tea company had already registered the Clipper name in Germany. Despite the alternative name, the products remain part of the same brand operation. By 2022, Clipper was reported to be the sixth-largest tea brand in the United Kingdom. It exported to more than 50 countries, offered approximately 95 varieties, and had production capacity of up to two million tea bags per day. Its continuing differentiation rests on organic and Fairtrade credentials, natural formulations, and packaging intended to support a lower-impact product proposition. Clipper is currently part of Ecotone's brand portfolio.
- 2022
International scale
[1]Clipper is reported as the UK's sixth-largest tea brand, exporting to more than 50 countries with around 95 varieties.
- 2012
Acquisition by Royal Wessanen
[1]Royal Wessanen acquires Clipper; the group later becomes Ecotone.
- 2008
Packaging and identity redesign
[1]Perry Haydn Taylor develops new packaging and the "Natural, fair & delicious" slogan.
- 2007
Sale to Fleming Family & Partners
[1]The founders sell the business to Fleming Family & Partners following their divorce.
- 1994
Early Fairtrade certification
[1]Clipper becomes one of the first three UK companies to receive the Fairtrade Mark.
- 1984
Clipper is founded in Dorset
[1]Lorraine and Mike Brehme establish Clipper from their Dorset kitchen, initially selling Assam tea to local health-food shops.
Products and positioning
A premium-accessible organic and Fairtrade beverage brand positioned around natural ingredients, ethical sourcing, environmental responsibility, and accessible everyday tea consumption.
Black tea
Organic black tea
Clipper's black-tea range forms part of its core everyday offering. Products are positioned around organic and Fairtrade sourcing, natural ingredients, and a straightforward tea profile without artificial additives.
Green tea
Organic green tea
The green-tea range extends Clipper's organic proposition into lighter tea styles. It is sold as part of the brand's broader portfolio of ethically sourced hot beverages.
Herbal and fruit tea
Fruit and herbal infusions
Clipper produces a broad selection of fruit and herbal infusions, contributing to the approximately 95 varieties associated with the brand in 2022. These products broaden the range beyond traditional Camellia sinensis teas.
Specialty tea
Decaffeinated tea
Decaffeinated products are part of Clipper's tea portfolio and provide an alternative for consumers seeking the brand's natural and ethical positioning without standard caffeine levels.
Coffee
Organic coffee
Although best known for tea, Clipper also produces organic coffee. The coffee range extends the same natural, organic, and ethically focused brand platform into another hot beverage category.
Marketing campaigns
- 2008Natural, fair & delicious
United Kingdom · International markets
Perry Haydn Taylor created new Clipper packaging and introduced the slogan "Natural, fair & delicious" to express the brand's product and ethical proposition.
Outcome. The redesign gave Clipper a more recognisable brand identity while maintaining its organic and Fairtrade positioning.
- 1994Fairtrade education and advocacy
United Kingdom
After receiving the Fairtrade Mark, Clipper supported consumer education through The Teapot Times, which discussed tea production and the effects of Fairtrade purchasing on producing communities.
Outcome. The initiative reinforced Clipper's reputation as an early UK Fairtrade tea company and supported its advisory relationship with the Fairtrade Foundation.
Brand decisions
2012
Sell Clipper to Royal WessanenM&ABackground
Clipper had expanded from a Dorset-founded ethical tea business into a larger organic and Fairtrade brand with growing export activity.
Action taken
The owners sold Clipper to Royal Wessanen, a European organic and natural-foods group that later became Ecotone.
Aftermath
Exports reportedly grew by 40% in 2012, and the Beaminster manufacturing facility was expanded with capital investment.
Reported acquisition price. Approximately £50 million (2012)
2008
Refresh the brand identityStrategyBackground
Clipper sought to communicate its natural and ethical credentials more clearly as the business expanded.
Action taken
The company commissioned Perry Haydn Taylor to redesign its packaging and adopted the slogan "Natural, fair & delicious."
Aftermath
The packaging and slogan became part of Clipper's distinctive market presentation.
Recent events
- 2022
Clipper expands international distribution[1]
Other
Clipper was described as the UK's sixth-largest tea brand, exporting to more than 50 countries and producing approximately 95 tea varieties.
- 2012
Royal Wessanen acquires Clipper[1]
M&A
Royal Wessanen acquired Clipper in a transaction reported at approximately £50 million. The business subsequently expanded its exports and invested in its Beaminster manufacturing facility.
- 2008
Clipper introduces a new brand identity[1]
Campaign
Perry Haydn Taylor's creative branding agency developed new packaging and the slogan "Natural, fair & delicious" as part of a repositioning and visual redesign.
- 2007
Clipper is sold to Fleming Family & Partners[1]
M&A
Following the divorce of founders Lorraine and Mike Brehme, Clipper was sold to Fleming Family & Partners for a reported amount in the £25 million to £30 million range.
- 1994
Clipper receives the Fairtrade Mark[1]
Other
Clipper became one of the first three companies in the United Kingdom to receive the Fairtrade Mark, formalising an ethical sourcing position that had been part of the brand's founding rationale.
Sources3 sources
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