Completed sale
Teahouse Emporium
Operating since 2006, The Unique Tea Company attracted a competitive field of buyers, with its sale process producing 16 meetings and eight offers.
Trading as Teahouse Emporium from the centre of Bath, the business has become a recognised destination for loose-leaf tea, pyramid teabags, coffee, hot chocolate and teaware. Its Union Passage store serves both local customers and visitors to the city, supported by an e-commerce platform and an established wholesale operation.
Behind the shopfront is a multi-channel operation with a distinctive product range. The company imports tea in bulk, roasts its own coffee beans, mixes its own luxury hot chocolate and sources teaware from China, with more than 200 types of tea and herbs available to customers. Sales are generated through retail, online and wholesale routes, giving the business several complementary revenue streams.
The Unique Tea Company has grown with very limited reliance on active marketing, benefiting instead from word of mouth, repeat custom and knowledgeable service. Its established online following and wholesale customer base, which includes coffee shops, tea rooms, specialist retailers and hotels, offered a buyer a strong platform with clear scope for further development.
Following a change in personal circumstances, owner Timothy Stoneham made the decision to bring the business to market. The sale was led by Deal Executive Peter Taberner, and generated strong engagement before a preferred buyer was selected. In total, the process produced eight offers, with a buyer profile and deal structure agreed that aligned with the seller’s objectives.
The buyer, Brighton-based Nick Barton Jayne, founder of TentStyle, identified an opportunity with clear growth potential. With its established Bath presence, broad customer base and multi-channel sales model, Teahouse Emporium provides a solid foundation for further development under new ownership.
The transaction allows Timothy to step away from the business, while placing The Unique Tea Company in the hands of a buyer keen to build on what has already been created. The Knightsbridge team wishes Timothy all the best for the future, and every success to Nick as he takes the business forward.