Top 10 tea producing companies

Consumer preferences and their consumption habits are changing drastically around the world from having sugar-laden carbonated soft drinks to healthier halos such as tea and herbal drinks. These factors are creating a favorable situation for many leading tea companies across the world with the global tea market growing at an unprecedented rate over the last few years.

The tea industry is stealing the spotlight in the global beverages market owing to the growing number of people across all age groups beginning to choose drinking hot tea over other beverages. Here is a list of the top ten tea producing companies of the world.

Twinings(UK)

Twining is famous for making the most luxurious tea blend in the world.

After being founded in 1706, the brand was bought by Associated British Foods in 1964, a giant British international food processing, and retailing company.

Twinings has mastered the art of tea blending and has always been seen as an expert in flavors. The company offers premium loose teas and all-time classics, as well as some exciting picks and signature tea blends with a twist. At Twinings, you can find any tea blend your heart desires, be it Chai Latte, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Everyday, Fruit and Herbal Infusions, Green Tea, or Mint Tea. And if that is still not enough to satisfy your needs, they also produce organic, decaffeinated, and fairtrade tea! These results could only be achieved through over 300 years of tea making tradition, professionalism, creativity, and tea blending expertise.

The Republic of Tea (USA)

The Republic of Tea is an American brand which is best known for selling the premium quality tea bags - offering around 300 varieties of tea.

Mel Ziegler and Patricia Ziegler founded the brand in 1992 along with William Rosenzweig. In 1994, Ron Rubin purchased the company, and only in that time, the Republic has gained national recognition. The Republic of Tea likes to address its employees "ministers", its customers "citizens", and its retail outlets "embassies" which goes really well with the brand name.

The Republic of Tea is associated with tall cylindrical tins. The brand offers multiple tea types and flavors, organic ingredients, varieties enriched with spices, herbs, fruit juices, and flowers, but also iced tea and limited editions, and tea-related gifts and sipware.

Lipton (UK)

This is also another brand famous for their tea-bags. When it comes to the brands of tea, Lipton is a household brand all over the world.

The British brand is named after its founder Thomas Lipton which is cureently owned by the consumer conglomerate Unilever.

Lipton focuses solely on the production and distribution of tea, which resulted in a varied assortment of tea formats, types, and flavors, alongside the line of teas offering particular health benefits, such as energy & focus or immunity.

In 2011, Unilever came under fire for practicing the use of animals to confirm health claims in humans about all their tea brands. After reciving over 40,000 appeals from PETA advocates and in the light of PETA's planning its "Lipton CruelTEA" campaign; they finally stopped that practice and vouched for a more "eco friendly" production planning.

Yorkshire Tea (UK)

Yorkshire Tea is the second largest and highest selling tea brand in the UK; mostly famous for producing fine quality loose leaf tea blend.

Established in 1886 by Charles Edward Taylor, later acquired by another tea brand Betty's Tea Rooms - which gave birth to the current comany Bettys & Taylors Group.

The company is almost the only family tea and coffee manufacturers still left in the UK. The brand specialises in black tea blends, and its most famous mix is called Yorkshire Gold. Other top selling blends include tea for hard water, decaffeinated tea, as well as the combinations with a range of cakes, biscuits, and fruit loaves. Yorkshire Tea is appreciated for blends with uniquely balanced flavors and top quality teas. Additionally, each Yorkshire Tea is tasted eight times, and the company commits to the trade that respects people and the environment.

Tetley (India)

Another household tea brans Tetley is famous for producing various types of herbal tea in the world. Originally manufactured in Britain in 1837, Tetley is now owned by Tata Global Beverages since 2000. Tata is now the second biggest global tea producing company having more than 60 tea brands in 40 countries across the world.

Tetley is valued for its superb selection of teas and widespread availability. The range of products includes exclusive orange pekoe & black, which in the tea industry refers to the highest standard for Western and South Asian teas. And beyond that, Tetley has a variety of flavoured black, herbal, green, red tea, Ayurvedic Balance, decaf, kosher teas, and the new Super Teas. Tetley Super Teas are enriched with vitamins and minerals, composed of people leading an active, balanced lifestyle in mind. The company also shows deep concerns for sustainability, water management, and waste management, all in efforts to minimise the negative impacts on the environment.

Harney & Sons (USA)

Being among the best tea companies, Harney & Sons began its production in 1983, in Connecticut with John Harney as the founder. John's big dream was to make premium tea a daily luxury and satisfy every tea lover. Harney & Sons is a family owned and managed company. The tea brand also distributes to restaurants, hotels, and specialty shop. Harney is also one of the best green tea producers in the world.

Harney & Sons market a diverse product range, from loose teas and sachet tea bags, including all kinds and blends of teas; from green, white and matcha tea to herbal infusions. And then there is even Harney & Sons certified selection of organic, kosher, and decaffeinated teas, while the newest arrivals in the company's family are the fruit and floral teas.

Stash Tea (USA)

Stash Tea is an American specialty tea & herbal tea company. It was formed in 1972 by Steve Lee, Dave Leger, and Steven Smith (the same tea entrepreneur who founded Tazo and co-founded Steven Smith Teamaker). In 1993, Stash was purchased by Yamamotoyama Tea Company.

The range of products offered by Stash Tea includes various tea types and flavors, from loose leaf teas to tea bags, organic and decaf, including less common tea types like yerba mate, pu-erh, and rooibos.

Yogi Tea (USA)

The herbal tea company established by Yogi bhajan in 1984 at Oregon, USA is one of the best organic tea producing brands in the world.

According to some studies, it is proven that yogi green tea helps in preventing atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease and helps in weight loss. Yogi Tea Company makes a variety of herbal teas which offers many health healing properties.

It also contains highly antioxidant and antidiabetic properties which helps to improve blood circulation on the skin's surface. Tea also helps improve skin texture.

Celestial Seasonings (USA)

Celestial Seasonings is known for producing world's best chamomile tea. It was founded in 1969 by Mo Siegel and right now standing as a thriving brand which promotes sustainable sourcing methods and supports local and global communities.

The producer is praised for its unique herbal tea blends, although it also sells green, white, chai, and black teas. Celestial Seasonings' signature herbal teas include combinations of spices, herbs, and other natural ingredients, like licorice, pomegranate, or hibiscus, just to name few. The company successfully shares their passion for tea to a broad audience. Celestial Seasonings is committed to sustainable sourcing methods and supports local and global communities.

Bigelow (USA)

The only US tea producing company which owns a tea plantation plant in America, located in South Carolina. The Bigelow Tea Company sells black, green, and herbal dried tea in over 50 mixes and flavors. The company is in business for around 74 years fully operated by a single family.

Bigelow Tea takes pride in having become a Certified B Corporation, which is an honor held by only the limited number of 2,700 companies worldwide. This certification is granted to companies on the basis of strict standards of associated social and environmental performance, and it also promotes using business as a force for good.