BrewGroup
 Dunedin factory used from 1924 to 2014 | |
| Industry | Food manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1898 in Dunedin |
Area served | New Zealand |
| Revenue | $60 million[1] (2013) |
| Owner | Jacobs Douwe Egberts |
BrewGroup is a New Zealand tea and coffee company. It started as Bell Tea in 1898, the name of a tea brand still sold by BrewGroup. Bell Tea is the country's oldest tea manufacturer.[2] As of 2014, over 3 million Bell Tea bags are made each day in Auckland.[2] Its tea brands give BrewGroup a 40% tea market share as of 2013.[3] It is owned by Jacobs Douwe Egberts.
History
The Bell Tea Company was founded in 1898 by Norman Harper Bell after moving from Melbourne to Dunedin.[4] Bell partnered with R. Wilson and Co. in 1898 and trademarked Bell Tea, which lasted until 1905 when he ended the partnership, bought the Bell Tea and other trademarks, and found two new partners. The company then became the Bell Tea and Coffee Co.[2]
In 1962, Bell Tea was acquired by the supermarket operator Foodstuffs.[1] Due to competition with Progressive Enterprises, Foodstuffs' main competitor, Bell Tea had difficulty getting into Progressive's supermarkets, which limited the growth of Bell Tea.[3] Bell Tea was sold in September 2013 to Wellington-based Pencarrow Private Equity.[2][1][3]
In 2006, Bell Tea bought Burton Hollis Coffee, and the company was renamed to the Bell Tea and Coffee Company.[1][3]
The 2011 Christchurch earthquake severely damaged Bell Tea's Christchurch building and it had to be demolished. In 2014, Bell Tea sold its Dunedin factory, which had been used since 1924.[2][5] This was because the company could not afford the costs for improving earthquake strength and fire safety, as the building had only 34% of the minimum earthquake strength. The costs were over $1 million.[2] During that year the company also divested three of its properties in East Tāmaki, two of which were adjoined as a factory.[5][6]
In June 2016, Bell Tea & Coffee Company was renamed to BrewGroup after coffee sales exceeded tea sales.[7][8][9] BrewGroup was bought in 2017 by Dutch company Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) for over $100 million.[8][10]
Brands
- Amber Tips (bought 1963)[4]
- Burton's[3]
- Edgelets[4]
- Gravity Coffee[3]
- Hummingbird Coffee (bought 2016)[11][12]
- Jed's Coffee[3]
- Jura and La Cimbali[3]
- Native Infusions[3]
- NZ Live[3]
- Tiger Tea (bought 1969)[4]
- Twinnings[12]
References
- ^ a b c d "Bell Tea stays in NZ with new owner". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Elder, Vaughan (22 April 2014). "Bell Tea to close Dunedin factory". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Crossley, Jazial (14 September 2013). "Bell buy to a tea suits Pencarrow". Stuff. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d Wilcox, Sarah (11 March 2010). "Tea and coffee". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b Hartley, Simon (22 September 2014). "Developer buys Bell Tea building". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "Bell's Tea pot of properties – Property News". NZ Herald. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ Dyer, Leslie (3 June 2016). "Bell Tea & Coffee Company unveils BrewGroup rebrand and identity via Designworks, Auckland". Campaign Brief NZ. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b Hutching, Chris (17 January 2017). "Dutch company swoops on local tea and coffee group". Stuff. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "Bell Tea and Coffee Company rebrands as BrewGroup". Stuff. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "Brew group official acquired". Supermarket News. 15 November 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ Hutching, Chris (17 January 2017). "Dutch company swoops on local tea and coffee group". Stuff. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b Fulton, Tim (11 February 2016). "Bell Tea buys Christchurch's Hummingbird coffee company". Stuff. Retrieved 5 March 2024.