Betjeman & Barton
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Paris tea house selling over 250 loose leaf and bagged teas.
Betjeman & Barton can't show that the people who grow its tea in India and Sri Lanka earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its tea is grown in countries such as India and China, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, partly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Betjeman & Barton's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its tea is grown
Betjeman & Barton names some of the countries its tea comes from: China, India, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Taiwan. The rest is shown as where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| South Korea | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Nepal | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| KenyaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalawiUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: tea estate wages in Assam, Sri Lanka and Kenya are among the lowest of any export crop, often paid partly in kind (housing, rations).
Research notes Betjeman & Barton says its buyers visit estates and small producers and that it works only with suppliers meeting strict criteria on working conditions and pay, but it names no estates, publishes no audits, wage data or supplier list, and holds no labour certification. Only part of the range is certified organic. Its teas come from China, India (Darjeeling and Assam), Japan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Korea and Nepal; no volume shares are given.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | The company's commitments statement names ECOCERT organic certification for some teas but no Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Cluizel reprend la maison Betjeman & Barton (Réussir, 2018) · search the archive · Chocolatier Michel Cluizel took over Betjeman & Barton in September 2018
Published by Betjeman & Barton or its owner
- Our history (Betjeman & Barton) · search the archive · Founded in Paris in 1919; acquired by the Cluizel family in 2018; origins Japan, China, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Assam, Formosa
- Grand Cru tea (Betjeman & Barton) · search the archive · Single-origin teas from China, Japan, Darjeeling, Taiwan, Korea and Nepal
- Frequently Asked Questions (Betjeman & Barton) · search the archive · Online orders shipped by Colissimo, 5 to 9 days for the rest of the world; certified organic black, green and white teas
Company details
- Headquarters
- France
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Betjeman & Barton ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/betjeman-and-barton, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Betjeman & Barton.