Just over 35 years ago in Hampshire, England, a young tea-trader pursued his vision to create exceptional tea that could be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere in the world.
Inspired by the pure love of tea, he and his brothers embarked on a mission to find and work with the world’s finest tea gardens. They built trusting and long term partnerships with the owners of those tea gardens so they could blend the world’s most extraordinary teas.
Today, Ahmad Tea brings over 30 million cups of tea a day to tea lovers in more than 80 different countries. From the world’s most influential urban hubs, to the tiniest remote villages, everyone can enjoy a perfectly brewed cup of Ahmad Tea.
Company founder, Mr Rahim Afshar decides to enter the tea trade, building upon his family's history and knowledge in packing and blending tea. He is inspired by a dream experienced by family friend and mentor, Professor A.H. Ganjavian.
Ahmad Tea is founded by Mr Rahim and his brothers, and named after their father. Initially working as an importation company, the operation is based in a small office above the family’s ‘Kabir Tea Shop’ on Southampton’s London Road.
Ahmad Tea’s first loose tea blend goes on sale, targeted at the luxury gifting market, with products stocked in local retailers in the South of England and London.
Sales grow and Ahmad Tea relocates to larger premises in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire. The company secures its first major retail partnership, with Spanish department chain El Corte Ingles.
Ahmad Tea enters the former USSR market to kick start further growth abroad. Expansion begins with Russia, with plans to enter Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
Growing demand for tea across Ahmad Tea’s markets sees new offices open in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The team there supports quality control from the Sri Lanka packing factory.
The Ahmad Tea business thrives, thanks to economic recovery and success in Eastern Europe. The company builds its first overseas manufacturing plant in Kharkov, Ukraine.
Ahmad Tea expands its range to include green teas for the first time, as well as iced teas.
By the turn of the Millennium Ahmad Tea is one of the top 5 leading tea brands across Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East. This is driven by first rate quality control from the Tea Tasting Department, headed by William Manning.
A milestone moment as Ahmad Tea takes on the majority share of the tea gift market in the UK and is available in 68 countries worldwide.
As demand grows for green tea, manufacturing shifts to a new plant in China - the company’s third major plant.
Ahmad Tea opens new offices in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire. The offices host a tea tasting room and a carefully curated tea museum.
Ahmad Tea’s new state-of-the-art processing and export plant opens in the United Arab Emirates, becoming the flagship location for environmentally sustainable business practices.
Ahmad Tea steps up its charitable work, with plans to build a cancer hospital in Colombo, and initiating a water-drilling programme in Niger.
Ahmad Tea develops an innovative new Cold Brew Iced Tea product. Real tea, that brews in cold water, without the need to boil the kettle. It proves hugely popular with people from Prague to Tokyo.
Ahmad Tea picks up more Great Taste Awards, taking the company’s awards tally to a total of 22 since first entering in 2015.
Thanks to the vision and guidance of Chairman Mr Rahim Afshar, and his brothers Karim and Ebraham, Ahmad Tea continues to grow as a family business. Innovation and expansion in product blends, coupled with a commitment to the highest quality standards, means Ahmad Tea products are sold in more than 80 countries around the world.
There is a fine art to selecting, blending, and tasting our tea. See how we maintain exceptional levels of quality and how to – in our modest opinion – brew the perfect cup of Ahmad Tea.
LEARN MOREWe are proud of our facilities and the people who work there. Our goal is to produce a consistently quality product, in a safe and efficient way, that makes a minimal impact on the environment. Here’s how we achieve that.
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