Unilever acquires Pukka teas
Pukka Co-Founders Tim Westwell and Sebastian Pole
Unilever has acquired UK tea brand, Pukka Herbs.
The acquisition price has not been disclosed.
Pukka Herbs was first founded in 2001 by Tim Westwell and Sebastian Pole. The company’s organic herbal teas have been sold in Australia since 2013.
Pukka has an approximate annual turnover of £30 million (AUD $49.16 millon) and Unilever says the brand is currently rapidly growing across Europe and the US. According to 2016 Euromonitor figures, Pukka is the fastest growing organic tea company in the world.
The herbal, fruit and green tea market is currently worth €1.6 billion (AUD $2.39 billon).
Unilever Refreshment Category President, Kevin Havelock, said Pukka has strong values and a clear purpose that aligns with Unilever’s sustainable growth model.
“There’s a clear strategic, philosophical and cultural fit for us,” Pukka Havelock said.
“The acquisition strengthens our tea business, addressing a gap in our portfolio.
“Pukka is a premium player in the natural, organic, health and wellness segment which is fast-growing, attractive and scalable. We look forward to bringing Pukka to even more consumers.”
Pukka Co-Founder and Master Herbsmith, Sebastian Pole, said choosing Unilver came down to two fundamentals – scale and sustainability.
“It is a leader in social and environmental change and it wholeheartedly embraces Pukka’s beliefs. So, there’s a meeting of values,” Pole said.
“Pukka will remain 100 per cent organic and a champion for fair trading through pioneering schemes like Fair for Life, and continue to donate 1 per cent of its sales to global environmental charities. With Unilever, we have new levels of reach and opportunity.”
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