Red Rose Tea

Red Rose tea is a historic brand with deep roots in North American tea culture. Originally established in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, it became famous for its high-quality black tea blends and its long-running promotion of including collectible Wade Whimsies porcelain figurines in tea boxes.

The manufacturing and distribution of Red Rose tea are split by geography. In the United States, the brand is owned and manufactured by Ekaterra (formerly a division of Unilever), while in Canada and other parts of the world, the brand remains under the ownership of Unilever. The tea leaves are sourced from multiple tea-growing regions around the world, primarily from estates in Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, which are then blended at regional facilities.

Ownership of the brand has evolved recently. In 2022, Unilever sold its tea division, Ekaterra, to the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. Consequently, Red Rose is now part of the world's largest dedicated tea company, operating under the global stewardship of CVC Capital Partners, though it maintains its traditional blending profiles that have made it a household staple for over a century.