British tea maker Birchall, a fifth-generation family business, announced in September 2026 the largest marketing push in its history: a GBP 1 million campaign aimed at changing how the UK picks its everyday brew.
The campaign brings the brand its first-ever television advert, a 30-second spot on ITV1, alongside a six-part documentary series of roughly two minutes per film shot in Rwanda and Kenya, digital activity and retail presence in Waitrose and Ocado. The company expects to reach more than five million consumers. At the centre sits Great Rift Breakfast Tea, a black tea that has taken 16 consecutive Great Taste awards.
The reasoning shows up in YouGov research cited by the company: 60% of UK adults say taste matters when they buy tea, yet 41% buy out of habit and only 6% actively look for something better. Founder Dan Graham says he wants drinkers to start "asking the same questions they ask about coffee" — about origin, growing conditions and how the leaf was made.
Source: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal