7th March 2012

BEAMINSTER: Dutch health foods company buys Clipper Teas

By Paul Crompton

ONE of Beaminster’s biggest and most eminent firms has been sold.

Multi-award winning Clipper Teas Limited was bought out by Netherlands based food company Royal Wessanen NV for an undisclosed sum last week.

The European health food giant has pledged its commitment to the town and the 90 employees based at the Beaminster headquaters.

A Wessanen spokesman said it was the company’s intention to invest in the promotion of the brand in its Dorset based manufacturing capability to deliver growth both in the UK and internationally.

International brand Clipper had a £16million turnover last year from selling teas and coffee in 50 countries across the globe - according to industry analysis firm Nielsen.

The acquisition is part of Wessanen’s drive to have the most desired organic brands in Europe, said its spokesman.

Patrick Cairns, CEO of Wessanen UK, said the Beaminster firm was a very exciting addition to the company.

He said: “This new acquisition takes us further towards our ambition of having the most desired organic brands in Europe.

“We very much admire what the team at Clipper has achieved and want to build on this, invest in the brand and manufacturing capability.

“It has huge growth potential both here and internationally, having already established itself as the UK’s favourite organic and Fairtrade tea brand and there are real synergies between our portfolio of products.”

Clipper has blossomed into the fastest growing everyday tea brand since Mike and Lorraine Brehme launched it with just two chests of Assam tea 25 years ago.

The company was owned by a private investment firm at the time of the sale.

The Fairtrtade pioneer has regularly scooped top industry accolades – including ten gongs at last year’s Taste of the West awards – since its launch in 1984.

Last week’s sale will see Clipper integrated into Wessanen which employed 1,998 people in 2011.

The new owners will merge Clipper into its UK businesses, including Kallo Foods Ltd, whose natural and organic brands include Whole Earth, So Good and Rice Dream.

Clipper is an innovator in the hot drinks market leading the way in green, white and organic teas and infusions. It launched the UK’s first tea to carry the Fairtrade mark in 1994.

BEAMINSTER: Dutch health foods company buys Clipper Teas

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