Fortnum & Mason
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
London store known for its teas, biscuits and hampers.
Fortnum & Mason can't show that the people who grow its tea in India and Kenya earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Better-graded tea
Graded higher than Fortnum & Mason, selling the same kinds of things.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Fortnum & Mason? Send a right of reply.
Compare Fortnum & Mason with another brand
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 unaudited production 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 rightsMost of its tea is grown in India, China and Indonesia, 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: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
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 Fortnum & Mason'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
From product labels; Fortnum & Mason doesn't say where its tea is grown. 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 |
| Kenya | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri LankaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | 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).
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Fortnum & Mason publishes a UK modern slavery statement (latest for July 2024 to June 2025), but its registry summary names no risks, audits or sourcing countries. Its teas are named after origins such as Assam and Darjeeling in India and Kenya, but it does not name estates, publish origin shares or a supplier list, or carry Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification across its range. No labour abuses linked to its own suppliers have been reported. It shares an owner with Twinings, but no source shows the two share tea estates.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Fortnum & Mason plc has filed UK modern slavery statements, most recently for July 2024 to June 2025. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Fortnum & Mason's tea range is not sold as Fairtrade certified. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Profile records no labour allegations; the company was included in the centre's 2021 tea supply chain survey. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Fortnum & Mason (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · No labour allegations or response requests recorded; included in the 2021 tea supply chain survey
- Fortnum & Mason modern slavery statement summary 2025 (UK registry) · search the archive · Statement for July 2024 to June 2025, signed by the CEO; no answers on risks found or supplier audits
- Fortnum & Mason Albion Tea Tin (Brown Thomas) · search the archive · Blend of Assam and Kenyan teas; no sourcing or certification information
- Fortnum & Mason Darjeeling Loose Leaf Tea (David Jones) · search the archive · Darjeeling tea from India; Fortnum & Mason teas sold by David Jones in Australia
- Fortnum & Mason Breakfast Tea Tin (David Jones) · search the archive · David Jones stocks a range of Fortnum & Mason teas
Published by Fortnum & Mason or its owner
- Fortnum & Mason Future Matters · search the archive · Sustainability page links the modern slavery statement; no tea sourcing, certification or audit details
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Fortnum & Mason ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/fortnum-and-mason, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Fortnum & Mason.