The CEO of Supreme said “I believe Typhoo Tea will thrive under our ownership”
Typhoo Tea has been snapped up by a vapes and drinks manufacturer just days after the 120-year-old company, which once operated in Wirral, collapsed into administration. The historic tea company has been purchased by Supreme in a £10.2m deal.
Typhoo filed a notice to appoint administrators last week following several years of declining sales, mounting debts and even a break-in at its Moreton factory in August 2023. The incident caused “millions of pounds” worth of damage and left the company unable to fulfil large numbers of customer orders. The company had been trying to sell the factory at the time – a deal which eventually went through in June 2024.
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Typhoo was founded in 1903 by John Sumner Jr, or Birmingham. Record high material costs and financial troubles saw profits plummet to a £20m loss in the year ending March 2018, leading to proposed job cuts at its headquarters two years later. It understood the company currently has fewer than 100 employees. Its latest company filings showed a £38m loss last year, while sales fell by a quarter to £25.3m.
Supreme said in a statement: “Supreme is pleased to announce the acquisition of the trade and selected assets of Typhoo Tea Limited for a total cash consideration of £10.2million out of administration. The deal includes Typhoo Tea’s stock and trade debtors with a book value of £7.5million.”
Sandy Chadha, chief executive of Supreme, said: “The acquisition of Typhoo Tea marks a significant step in our broader diversification strategy and brings one of the most iconic UK consumer brands into the Supreme family. I believe Typhoo Tea will thrive under our ownership, further benefiting from Supreme’s significant market reach and successful track record in creating brand loyalty, making us an ideal fit for this business.
“Having established our soft drinks division earlier in the year, we believe the addition of Typhoo Tea and its highly complementary blend of great value and premium tea brands, creates tangible cross sell and product innovation opportunities in the near-term, alongside avenues into credible UK retailers that Supreme has been looking to partner with.”
