Source: Tata Consumer Products

Atkinson has taken up the position of senior vice president and head of UK & Ireland at the business

Tetley and Teapigs owner Tata Consumer Products has hired David Atkinson to lead its UK & Ireland business – and is bringing its trio of tea brands under one roof for the first time.

Atkinson, formerly Hain Daniels grocery MD, has taken up the position of senior vice president and head of UK & Ireland at the business, reporting into its international president Gharry Eccles.

At the same time, the tea giant is bringing all three of its tea brands into the same office: Teapigs is moving from a seperate office in Brentford, west London, to the Tata HQ in Greenford where its team will work alongside Tetley and Good Earth.

The business was “at a moment of great opportunity for our tea brands”, said Atkinson. “With change and uncertainty all around us, established household names provide a safe haven for the everyday essential spend, with our more specialist brands offering an affordable and welcome indulgence as we buckle down for what is going to be a tough winter for many.”

It had “big plans for growth which I will be working with the team to deliver at pace”, he added. “Innovation and consumer experience will be at the core of everything we do and I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

However it comes as tea brands have struggled in the mults over the past year: total branded tea sales dropped by 6.6% to £554.6m this year, while own-label sales grew 5.3% to £131.6m [Kantar 12 w/e 12 June 2022].