Headquarters Witney, Oxfordshire Area served International Founder Walter Whittard | Number of locations 50 Key people Mark Dunhill (CEO) Founded 1886 | |
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Industry Speciality Tea & Coffee Products Tea, Coffee, Ceramic, Chocolate Profiles | ||
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Whittard of Chelsea is an international retailer of coffee, tea and various items that are used for the consumption of hot drinks. Instant tea, hot chocolate, china and confectionery are also amongst their leading products.
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The company was founded in 1886 by Walter Whittard. It expanded in the 1980s and 1990s, and was bought by the Icelandic Baugur Group in 2005 for around £21 million. After Iceland's financial collapse in 2008, the company was placed into administration before being sold to the private equity firm EPIC for an undisclosed amount in December 2008.
Whittards has some 50 retail stores across the United Kingdom, as well as international stores in over 35 countries.
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History
The company was founded in 1886 by Walter Whittard, a merchant from London. Originally the company only sold tea; however, within a few years it had diversified. The company expanded in the 1980s and 1990s in the UK and abroad. The investment company Baugur Group of Iceland bought Whittard of Chelsea in 2005 for about £21m. In the year to the end of March 2007, Whittard reported a loss of £3.2m. Baugur was hit hard by Iceland's financial collapse in 2008, and placed the company into administration with Ernst & Young. It was sold to the private equity firm EPIC for an undisclosed amount on 23 December 2008. In January 2014 the company was taken over by Mark Dunhill as CEO.
In 2016 Whittard added a sit-down tea bar to its flagship store in Covent Garden.
Operations
The company has 50 retail stores across the United Kingdom employing around 420 people, and provides international sales through its transactional website. The company has international stores in countries including Abu Dhabi, Australia, Chile, Cyprus, Dubai, Kuwait, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Poland, China, and Romania.