Newby Teas
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
London luxury tea brand selling loose-leaf and bagged teas.
Newby Teas 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 Newby Teas, selling the same kinds of things.
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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 China and India, 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 Newby Teas'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
Newby Teas says which countries its tea comes from, but doesn't name the farms or co-operatives.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Kenya | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
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). Source
Research notes Newby says it buys from a small group of estates in India (Assam and Darjeeling), Sri Lanka, Kenya, China, Japan and Taiwan, audits each partner before approval and stores teas at its own preservation facility in Kolkata. It says its gardens are Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade certified and that it is an Ethical Tea Partnership member, but it names no estates, shows no certification marks on its products and publishes no audit results, wage data or modern slavery statement. No labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been reported. It gives no split between the named origins.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | Newby says its gardens are Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade certified, but its products carry no Fairtrade mark and no licence is shown. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | Newby Teas UK has a company page with no allegations or response requests recorded. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | Newby Teas has no Australian entity required to report under the Modern Slavery Act. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Newby Teas UK (Selfridges Australia) · search the archive · Selfridges' Australian online store lists 27 Newby Teas products
Published by Newby Teas or its owner
- About us (Newby Teas) · search the archive · Founded 2000 by Nirmal Sethia; substantially owned by the N. Sethia Foundation; says gardens are Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade certified
- Sourcing policy (Newby Teas) · search the archive · Each partner estate audited before approval; no estates, wage data or supplier list published
- Frequently Asked Questions (Newby Teas) · search the archive · Sources from estates in India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, China and Japan; boutiques in London and Gstaad
- Inside the world of fine tea sourcing (Newby Teas) · search the archive · Small group of estates in Assam, Darjeeling, Sri Lanka, Kenya, China, Japan and Taiwan; preservation facility in Kolkata
- Sustainability (Newby Teas) · search the archive · Member of the Ethical Tea Partnership; no worker welfare or wage commitments described
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Newby Teas ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/newby-teas, 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 Newby Teas.