Pickwick
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Dutch tea brand selling black, green and herbal tea bags.
We couldn't confirm where Pickwick gets most of its tea.
Also worth knowing
Most tea is grown in countries such as India and Kenya, where workers are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
Better-graded tea
Graded higher than Pickwick, 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 unaudited production, probably 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 rightsWhere tea is usually grown, such as India and China, 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: Probably made partly 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 Pickwick'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
We couldn't confirm where Pickwick gets most of its tea, so this shows where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Kenya | 25% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri Lanka | 20% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | 15% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malawi | 5% | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 5% | 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). (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing) Source
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Pickwick teas carry the Rainforest Alliance seal, a farm standard that is weak on wages. Owner JDE Peet's says 99.5% of its tea met its responsible sourcing rules in 2025 and that it is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, but it does not name tea origin countries, estates or suppliers; Pickwick's Ceylon blend comes mainly from Sri Lanka. No labour abuses have been linked to Pickwick tea, and there is no living wage commitment for tea workers.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Pickwick teas carry the Rainforest Alliance seal rather than Fairtrade; JDE says all its Camellia sinensis and rooibos tea for Europe and New Zealand was third-party certified in 2025. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Owner JDE Peet's lodges a group modern slavery statement for 2025 (approved May 2026), naming child labour risks on coffee farms in Honduras and Uganda. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Jacobs Douwe Egberts AU lodges annual modern slavery statements covering its Australian business. View |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Listed | Owner JDE Peet's scored 63/100 in the World Benchmarking Alliance 2026 Social Benchmark, as listed by Ethical Consumer Australia. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour allegations about Pickwick tea are recorded; JDE entries concern Brazilian coffee. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not listed | Neither JDE Peet's nor owner Keurig Dr Pepper is among the 45 companies in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Ethical.org.au: JDE Peet's · search the archive · WBA 2026 Social Benchmark score 63/100
- JDE Peet's group modern slavery statement 2025 (UK registry) · search the archive · 2025 group statement approved May 2026; child labour risks in Honduras and Uganda coffee
- Pickwick Ceylon tea blend (PS in foodservice) · search the archive · Rainforest Alliance logo; tea from certified plantations, mainly Sri Lanka
- Pickwick at Officeworks · search the archive · Pickwick tea sold by Officeworks in Australia
Published by Pickwick or its owner
- JDE Peet's: Responsible sourcing · search the archive · 99.5% of tea responsibly sourced in 2025; 100% of tea for Europe and NZ third-party certified; ETP member; no origin list
Company details
- Headquarters
- Netherlands
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Pickwick ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/pickwick, 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 Pickwick.