Do we like them?

Do we like T2?

Melbourne-founded premium tea seller with shops and online sales in Australia and New Zealand. It is part of Ekaterra.

Our score: 5 out of 10. We found no scandals, but also little proof of good deeds. It's a decent tea shop that's now owned by private equity, and we couldn't check its ethics, so we'd hold off.

T2 started in Melbourne in 1996 and grew into a well-known premium tea chain. Unilever bought it in 2013. At the time, Unilever said it would keep the T2 format and the same management structure.

In November 2021, Inside Retail reported that Unilever was selling its whole tea business, 34 brands including T2, to private-equity group CVC Capital Partners for €4.5 billion. That business is called Ekaterra. The sale was due to settle in the second half of 2022.

T2 has since pulled back from overseas. Reports say it closed all its UK shops in 2023. In March 2026 it was reported to be closing its last three Singapore stores. That leaves Australia and New Zealand as its home turf.

We found no regulator action or big scandal against T2. We also found nothing that shows it is doing anything special on workers or the environment. That is why it gets a middle score.