BrewGroup
{{Short description|New Zealand tea and coffee manufacturer}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = BrewGroup
| image = Bell Tea Company, Hope Street, Dunedin.jpg
| image_caption = Dunedin factory used from 1924 to 2014
| industry = Food manufacturing
| founded = {{Start date and age|1898}} in Dunedin
| defunct = {{End date|2017}}
| fate = taken over
| successor = Jacobs Douwe Egberts NZ
| area_served = New Zealand
| revenue_year = 2013
}}
BrewGroup was a New Zealand tea and coffee company, which started as Bell Tea in 1898. Bell Tea is the country's oldest tea manufacturer.{{Cite web |last=Elder |first=Vaughan |date=22 April 2014 |title=Bell Tea to close Dunedin factory |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/bell-tea-close-dunedin-factory |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=Otago Daily Times |language=en}} {{As of|2014}}, over 3 million Bell Tea bags were made each day in Auckland. Its tea brands gave BrewGroup a 40% tea market share {{As of|2013|lc=y}}.{{Cite web |last=Crossley |first=Jazial |date=14 September 2013 |title=Bell buy to a tea suits Pencarrow |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/9164327/Bell-buy-to-a-tea-suits-Pencarrow |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=Stuff}} It was acquired by Jacobs Douwe Egberts in 2017.
History
The Bell Tea Company was founded in 1898 by Norman Harper Bell after moving from Melbourne to Dunedin.{{Cite web |last=Wilcox |first=Sarah |date=11 March 2010 |title=Tea and coffee |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/food-and-beverage-manufacturing/page-8 |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand}} 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.
In 1962, Bell Tea was acquired by the supermarket operator Foodstuffs.{{Cite web |date= |title=Bell Tea stays in NZ with new owner |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/bell-tea-stays-in-nz-with-new-owner/HHJUKJAMY5WQKMYV6FICVTNQTY/ |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}} 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. Bell Tea was sold in September 2013 to Wellington-based Pencarrow Private Equity.
In 2006, Bell Tea bought Burton Hollis Coffee, and the company was renamed to the Bell Tea and Coffee Company.
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.{{Cite web |last=Hartley |first=Simon |date=22 September 2014 |title=Developer buys Bell Tea building |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/business/developer-buys-bell-tea-building |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=Otago Daily Times |language=en}} 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. During that year the company also divested three of its properties in East Tāmaki, two of which were adjoined as a factory.{{Cite web |date=4 March 2024 |title=Bell's Tea pot of properties – Property News |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/bells-tea-pot-of-properties/XWPP34EXJW5VR26WAB7CSM34ZY/ |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}}
In June 2016, Bell Tea & Coffee Company was renamed to BrewGroup after coffee sales exceeded tea sales.{{Cite web |last=Dyer |first=Leslie |date=3 June 2016 |title=Bell Tea & Coffee Company unveils BrewGroup rebrand and identity via Designworks, Auckland |url=https://campaignbrief.co.nz/2016/06/03/bell-tea-coffee-company-unveil/ |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=Campaign Brief NZ |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=31 March 2016 |title=Bell Tea and Coffee Company rebrands as BrewGroup |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/80605403/bell-tea-and-coffee-company-rebrands-as-brewgroup?videoId=6327693416112 |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=Stuff}} BrewGroup was bought in 2017 by Dutch company Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) for over $100 million.{{Cite web |last=Hutching |first=Chris |date=17 January 2017 |title=Dutch company swoops on local tea and coffee group |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/88451244/dutch-company-swoops-on-local-tea-and-coffee-group |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=Stuff}}{{Cite web |last= |date=15 November 2016 |title=Brew group official acquired |url=https://supermarketnews.co.nz/news/local/brew-group-acquired/ |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=Supermarket News |language=en-US}}{{cite web |url=https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/service/services/documents/57058FFBFC815DA8762D5DE8921BD38E |date=31 January 2017 |title=Certificate of Amalgamation Jacobs Douwe Egberts NZ (61125) |location= |publisher=Companies Office New Zealand}}
Brands
- Amber Tips (bought 1963)
- Burton's
- Edgelets
- Gravity Coffee
- Hummingbird Coffee (bought 2016){{Cite web |last=Hutching |first=Chris |date=17 January 2017 |title=Dutch company swoops on local tea and coffee group |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/88451244/dutch-company-swoops-on-local-tea-and-coffee-group |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=Stuff}}{{Cite web |last=Fulton |first=Tim |date=11 February 2016 |title=Bell Tea buys Christchurch's Hummingbird coffee company |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/76750483/Bell-Tea-buys-Christchurchs-Hummingbird-coffee-company |access-date=5 March 2024 |website=Stuff}}
- Jed's Coffee
- Jura and La Cimbali
- Native Infusions
- NZ Live
- Tiger Tea (bought 1969)
- Twinnings