Kolkata's Luxmi Group acquires majority stake in UK's Brew Tea Co

Luxmi Group partners with Brew Tea Co. to strengthen sourcing and build a direct farm-to-cup model focused on whole-leaf, hand-rolled tea

Kolkata-based Luxmi Group, which owns the iconic Makaibari estate in Darjeeling, has acquired a majority stake in UK-based Brew Tea Co., a specialty tea company focused on whole-leaf teas.

 

Founded in Manchester by Phil and Aideen Kirby, the Brew Tea Co.’s subscription service now reaches nearly 10,000 homes across the UK.

 

Co-founders – Phil and Aideen Kirby – will retain a 20 per cent stake and continue to lead Brew Tea Co. as part of the partnership, a statement said.

 

The partnership with Luxmi Group, which produces about 30 million kg tea across 25 estates in Assam, Darjeeling and Rwanda, will strengthen sourcing for Brew Tea Co.

 

“We’ve always believed that if you start with great leaves and the right partners, you don’t need to interfere too much,” Aideen said in a statement. 

 

“Sourcing directly from estates that share our values — with care for people, land, and craftsmanship — is what makes our tea taste as good as it does. This partnership allows us to strengthen those relationships at the source. What matters most to us is the experience in people’s kitchens every single day,” added Phil.

 

By joining forces, Luxmi and Brew Tea Co. aim to create a complete farm-to-cup model — offering full traceability, exceptional freshness, and a direct connection between garden and consumer.

 

“As India celebrates its bicentennial of tea grown first in Assam, we are honoured to help bring the traditional craft that made Indian tea world-famous back into global focus,” Rudra Chatterjee, managing director, Luxmi Group.

 

Over 80 per cent of India’s tea production is CTC (Crush-Tear-Curl) – which caters to the global demand for bagged, commoditised tea. But orthodox whole-leaf tea — hand-picked and carefully rolled, is the choice of tea connoisseurs across the world.

 

For Brew Tea Co., the focus on whole-leaf excellence using rolled leaves with “no dust or shortcuts” will continue to be the focus.