If Fairtrade is an office purchasing requirement, choose tea bags with a Fairtrade claim for the exact product rather than relying on a familiar brand name or a different certification. Clipper lists Fairtrade everyday and catering teas, while a separately labelled decaf option can sit alongside the main supply. Choose the bag count and serving format according to whether tea is made in a shared kitchen or offered as individual portions.
Check the certification claim on the tea you intend to order. Fairtrade UK named PG Tips, Tetley, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea in its 2025 warning about brands shoppers may wrongly assume are Fairtrade; brand familiarity alone cannot establish that a particular pack meets your requirement.
Match the bag count to how regularly the kitchen supply needs replenishing. Clipper lists Fairtrade catering formats of 440 bags and 1,120 one-cup bags; check the exact format and current ordering details before choosing a case.
A shared black-tea supply may need a separately labelled decaf option. For meeting rooms or guest areas, check whether string-and-tag or enveloped bags would suit the way tea is served.
Set the certification requirement first, then choose a pack that works where and how the tea will be served.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade status | Look for the FAIRTRADE Mark or an explicit Fairtrade statement for the exact tea product. Check a decaf or catering variant separately rather than extending another pack’s claim to it. | Our purchasing requirement says Fairtrade, so a general ethical-sourcing statement or Rainforest Alliance certification will not establish that the tea meets it. |
| Bag count | Check the number of bags and the serving format. Clipper’s catering list includes Fairtrade packs of 440 bags and 1,120 one-cup bags. | Tea is made regularly in our shared kitchen, and I want a pack size that fits our replenishment routine. |
| Individual portions | Check whether bags are loose, string-and-tag or enveloped; a large bag count does not establish individual wrapping. Clipper lists Fairtrade string-and-tag and envelope formats. | For a meeting room or visitor tray, I would rather choose the serving format deliberately than assume a catering case contains separate portions. |
| Decaf alternative | Confirm that the exact pack is labelled decaffeinated and carries the required Fairtrade claim. Joybuy describes Clipper Organic Fairtrade Decaf Everyday as naturally decaffeinated black tea in an 80-bag pack. | Some colleagues prefer decaf, but the alternative still needs to meet our tea-purchasing requirement. |
Fairtrade UK warned in 2025 that shoppers may wrongly assume brands including PG Tips, Tetley, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea are Fairtrade. That assumption could leave an office with tea that does not meet its stated purchasing requirement.
Check the Fairtrade claim on the exact pack or product listing before ordering.
Tetley, Yorkshire Tea and Typhoo describe Rainforest Alliance-certified sourcing, but that does not establish a Fairtrade claim for their tea bags.
State which certification the office requires. If its policy accepts more than one scheme, assess each product against the schemes actually named in that policy.
Loose bags, string-and-tag bags and envelopes serve different purposes in a workplace. A catering case may not provide the individual portions needed for meeting rooms.
Check bag count, wrapping and current availability for the particular format before placing an order.
A title does not give every detail needed for an office order, particularly when certification and serving format matter.
Read the current product details or pack for the Fairtrade statement, tea type, ingredients, bag count and any relevant storage or best-before information.
Brand ranges can help narrow a search, but certification must still be checked on the exact tea product.
Clipper lists Fairtrade everyday black tea and catering formats relevant to shared kitchens and individual service.
Tetley is relevant if an office accepts Rainforest Alliance-certified sourcing rather than requiring Fairtrade tea.
PG Tips has an office-oriented one-cup format, but the format itself says nothing about Fairtrade status.
Yorkshire Tea is a distinct option for a purchasing policy that accepts Rainforest Alliance certification.
Twinings offers black, green, fruit and herbal tea choices for offices considering variety.
Typhoo has a large-format black-tea option for offices whose policy accepts its stated sourcing certification.
These Clipper packs cover an everyday black tea and a separate decaf choice for an office considering Fairtrade tea bags. Check each pack’s current label and serving format against your purchasing requirements.
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A separate black-tea choice for colleagues who prefer decaf alongside the main office supply.
Joybuy describes this 80-bag, 277g product as Organic Fairtrade and naturally decaffeinated, with plastic-free, unbleached bags. Check the pack format if individual wrapping is needed.
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An 80-bag black-tea pack to consider for a shared office kitchen.
Joybuy identifies this 232g product as Organic Fairtrade and lists organically grown black tea as its ingredient. Check the serving format if bags need to be individually wrapped.
Check the exact pack and product details for the FAIRTRADE Mark or an explicit Fairtrade statement applying to its tea. For example, Clipper states that 100% of the tea in its Organic & Fairtrade Everyday 40-bag product is traded in compliance with Fairtrade standards. Do not extend that statement to a different variant without checking it.
No: Rainforest Alliance certification does not itself establish that tea is Fairtrade. If the office specification expressly requires Fairtrade, choose a tea product with an applicable Fairtrade claim. If the specification accepts either scheme, check the exact certification stated for each candidate.
Choose by where the tea is served: a large case can fit a frequently used shared kitchen, while tagged or enveloped bags may suit meeting rooms and visitor trays. Clipper lists Fairtrade 440-bag and 1,120-bag catering formats alongside string-and-tag and envelope options; check the current bag format and availability before ordering.
Keep them in a cool, dry place away from strong odours, in line with storage guidance on Clipper and Typhoo product pages. In a shared kitchen, protect opened stock from moisture and check the packs’ best-before dates when replenishing it.