Whittard Today

Our story began in 1886 when Walter Whittard opened his first tea and coffee store on London’s Fleet Street. 

His philosophy was to always ‘Buy The Best’, sourcing the highest quality teas and coffees from around the world and blending them to his customers’ specifications. 

Today – over 125 years later – we still remain true to Walter’s founding philosophy. From one little shop on Fleet Street we continue to grow, sharing our innovative range and specialist knowledge across our UK stores, overseas and online. We’re still the blending and tasting experts, offering you something truly unique, wherever you come into contact with us.

• We have 130 varieties of tea, and still blend our own teas and infusions, just as Walter did.

• We are one of the few places that will grind freshly roasted coffee beans to your individual tastes.

• We have over 18 varieties of luxurious hot chocolate, tempting chocolate lovers with everything from White Chocolate and Strawberry to Chilli.

• We believe that preparation and serving are all part of the enjoyment. So we sell specialist china, equipment and glassware alongside our drinks.

The Early Days from 1886-1890

Walter H. Whittard was born in 1861 in South London. His family were wealthy leather merchants with factories in the tannery districts of Bermondsey.

Walter didn’t want to join the family business and left to pursue his real passion - the trade and importing of tea. He spent five years as an apprentice and in 1886, at the age of 25, he was ready to start his own company. 

His first shop was on the bustling thoroughfare of Fleet Street, below the well-known Anderton’s Hotel. His smart little shop, full of gleaming caddies and brass scales, was a great addition to the street. 

Walter had an eye for business. He discovered there was a market for coffee and cocoa as well as tea and started transforming these everyday beverages into luxurious items, making his expertly blended teas and coffees available to connoisseurs and novices alike. 

After securing a contract to supply Anderton’s Hotel, he sent out circulars to others in the area and soon had a thriving business known in London and beyond. In 1890 he moved the offices to 21 Mincing Lane, down the road from the mighty London Commercial Salerooms where the tea auctions were held.

Blending Passion and Expertise from 1890-1930

Right from the start, Walter understood the need to tailor products to his customers. From the windows of his first shop, Walter watched the be-wigged occupants of the Inns of Court come and go… To tempt them in he created a blend of tea named ‘Barristers Refresher’!

‘Opportunity Tea’ was advertised across the country in the early 1930s.This was a difficult time to be selling tea, coffee and cocoa. Customers would not buy cheap tea as they presumed it to be of a low quality. Naming a blend ‘Opportunity’ captured the spirit of the time, creating a sense of hope in a bleak era. In fact, the tea did so well that an entire extra floor of the warehouse was dedicated to ‘Opportunity’ to cope with demand!

British Spirit Triumphs from 1930-Present

The Second World War was a very difficult time, but the business held its own. Walter died in 1935. His sons Hugh and Dick Whittard had taken over the business by this time and were coping well in wartime. 

In June 1940 both brothers were called to join the army leaving a skeleton staff to run the business. That September, the main warehouse roof was blown off and weeks later the second warehouse was hit and all 158 chests of tea were lost. Then came the 'Great Fire Raid' - the main warehouse suffered a direct hit and was completely destroyed. Everything was lost.

With true British spirit, Hugh and Dick went straight about finding a way to keep their customers in tea, coffee and cocoa, and found a new location. They moved to Fulham Road, and soon became very settled in Chelsea.

In the late 1960s Hugh was killed in a train crash, leaving his brother Dick as the last remaining family member. Dick sold the business in the 1970s, but not before taking on an apprentice of his own, Giles Hilton. Giles spent years learning every aspect of the trade and through the 80s and 90s, Whittard expanded massively across the UK and internationally, becoming a household name.

Throughout the ups and downs of more than 125 years of history, one thing has remained constant - the loyalty of Whittard customers. They tell us that their parents, grandparents and even great grandparents would buy their favourite blend from us and they continue the tradition to this day.