Our Story
About Us
History
When Walter Whittard first set up store selling tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, he had no idea what the next century or so would bring. It’s a story of breaking with tradition, war and disaster, survival, success, innovation, and creativity…
1886: It All Begins
Walter Whittard was never the sort to compromise. At the age of 17, he quit the family leather business out of frustration with his father’s way of running things and took a job with a tea trader in London’s bustling city center. Eight years later – aged just 25 – he opened his own shop in bustling Fleet Street, with a simple philosophy: to “buy the best”.
In those early days, the walls would have been lined with huge tea caddies and filled with the scent of roasting coffee. Walter insisted on blending his tea and roasting his coffee on site; he also had a keen eye for a marketing opportunity, and targeted the nearby law courts by describing his tea as “The Barrister’s Refresher”.
Today
It’s been a long, varied, and exciting history for Whittard of Chelsea. We’ve been through World Wars, incredible discoveries, tragedies, and successes. But if there’s one thing that’s kept us going, it’s the attitude of our founder.
Walter was a tradition-breaker with no time for compromise: he was never afraid to try something new, and he always stuck to his philosophy of “buying the best”. Today, we push boundaries with our unique, innovative blends and scour the world for the best single-origin varieties, from the very best tea to our limited edition coffees. We’re proud to hang Walter’s name above our door – and we think he’d be proud too.
Coffee
There’s an adventure in every cup with our globe-spanning range of specialty coffee, state-of-the-art brewing equipment, and expert tips to master cafe-style creations at home…
Shop by Grind, Roast, or Format
GROUND FOR YOU
Unlike many retailers, we’ll freshly grind your coffee to suit your equipment – whether you shop in store or online.
ROAST
Lightly roasted beans preserve the flavours of their origin, influenced by the soil and atmosphere.
