Whittard of Chelsea
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
British tea, coffee and hot chocolate retailer.
Whittard of Chelsea 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.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Whittard of Chelsea? Send a right of reply.
Compare Whittard of Chelsea 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 Whittard of Chelsea'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
Whittard of Chelsea names some of the countries its tea comes from: China, Indonesia, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka. 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 Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalawiUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Far 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). Source
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Whittard publishes a Modern Slavery Act statement (July 2024 to June 2025) naming tea origins of India, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Kenya, without shares. It is working with the Ethical Tea Partnership, requires suppliers to register on Sedex and complete a self-assessment or recognised social audit, and ran its first supplier risk assessment in July 2024. It names no estates, publishes no supplier list and has no Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification across its range.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Whittard Trading Ltd publishes a Modern Slavery Act statement for July 2024 to June 2025, signed by its CEO. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Whittard's tea range is not 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
- Whittard of Chelsea (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · No labour allegations recorded
- Whittard of Chelsea eyes more international growth (World Coffee Portal) · search the archive · Over 40 UK stores, presence in over 40 markets; group sales of 45.7m pounds in 2023
- Whittard Famous Tea Collection (McGrocer) · search the archive · UK online grocer selling Whittard teas with an Australian storefront and shipping to 150+ countries
- Whittard of Chelsea (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Founded 1886; HQ in Oxfordshire, England; owned by Epic Private Equity
Published by Whittard of Chelsea or its owner
- Whittard sourcing practice statement · search the archive · Ethical Tea Partnership member; suppliers must join Sedex and complete a self-assessment; commits to a sustainable price
- Whittard Modern Slavery Statement, July 2024 to June 2025 · search the archive · Tea origins India, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Kenya; Sedex registration, ETP partnership, first risk assessment July 2024
Company details
- Owned by
- Privately owned (Epic Private Equity, per Wikipedia)
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Whittard of Chelsea ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/whittard, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded tea
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Whittard of Chelsea.