Makaibari owner buys 80% stake in UK’s Brew Tea

Kolkata-based Luxmi Group, the owner of the iconic Makaibari Darjeeling tea estate, has agreed to acquire an 80% stake in Manchester-headquartered Brew Tea Co., marking its first major overseas retail acquisition.

Phil and Aideen Kirby, co-founders of Brew Tea Co., will retain a 20% stake and continue to lead the business.

The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition follows a growing trend of Indian tea producers buying UK brands, including Tata’s £271 million purchase of Tetley in 2000 and Apeejay Surrendra’s £80 million acquisition of Typhoo from Premier Foods in 2005.

Brew Tea specializes in orthodox whole-leaf teas and has grown into a leading UK-based premium brand.

Its subscription-based service delivers 500 grams of loose leaf or whole-leaf tea bags to nearly 10,000 UK households, “brewed in over 70,000 kitchens,” according to company data.

Luxmi Group managing director Rudra Chatterjee said the acquisition will reinforce Brew Tea’s access to ethically sourced teas and helps complete a true “farm-to-cup” supply chain from India to UK consumers.

With over a century of tea cultivation experience, Luxmi produces approximately 30 million kg annually across 25 estates in Assam, Darjeeling, and Rwanda.

“This partnership allows us to strengthen relationships at the source. What matters most is the daily experience in people’s kitchens,” said Phil Kirby.

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

The acquisition signals Luxmi’s strategic intent to deepen its presence in branded premium tea markets, growing beyond bulk exports toward higher-margin consumer-facing products

Chatterjee noted, “As India marks its bicentennial of tea production, we hope to reinvigorate global appreciation for traditional Indian leaves.”