Tea wholesale and tea production: tea, herbs, fruits, extracts and private-label products from Hamburg
Hälssen & Lyon GmbH
Hamburg · Westport (USA) · ThuringiaNew on Amplifa
About Hälssen & Lyon
Hälssen & Lyon is an internationally active family business based in Hamburg since 1879, engaged in tea trading and tea production. The company offers the full spectrum of the tea business under one roof: black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong, yellow tea, pu-erh, rooibos, honeybush, mate as well as fruits, herbs, blossoms and spices. Processing ranges from cleaning, sorting and cutting at the company's own plant in Thuringia to flavouring, decaffeination (CO2, E/A, M/C) and CO2 pressure treatment, through to dry extraction, instant powders, liquid extracts and beverage compounds for the beverage industry. Packing ranges from loose bulk goods and 1-kg bags to tea bags, boxes, tins and convenience systems, also as private label. Customers include tea brands, tea packers, specialist retailers, the beverage industry, food service as well as the cosmetics and dietary supplements industries. At the Hamburg headquarters at Pickhuben 9 in the Speicherstadt, the company operates the world's largest specialty tea warehouse; since 2005 there has been a US branch, Haelssen & Lyon North America Corp., in Westport, Connecticut, with warehousing, blending and packing.
- Site
- Hamburg
- Processes
- CO2 pressure treatment, Flavouring of tea (flavouring processes since 1967, also Juicea – flavouring with, Decaffeination of tea – natural CO2 (high-pressure process), E/A (ethyl acetate), M/C, Dry extraction of tea – hot/cold water-soluble, spray-dried and freeze-dried extracts, Production of liquid tea extracts and beverage compounds (RTD beverage bases), Instant powder mixes and pre-mixes – in-house development and refining, Cleaning, sorting and cutting of fruits, herbs and spices at the company's own plant in Thuringia, Tea blending (individual recipes, blended and packed in the USA)
- Materials
- Black tea, Green tea, White tea, Oolong, Yellow tea, Pu-erh, Rooibos, Honeybush
- Certificates
- IFS Food (higher level), HACCP, SMETA (SEDEX, regular since 2011), EcoVadis Assessment, NOP (Organic), ECC Organic, Fairtrade, Kosher, Rainforest Alliance, SMETA (SEDEX), EcoVadis
- Founded
- 1879
- Industries
- Tea brands, Private label, Tea packers, Specialist tea retail and wholesale, Beverage industry, Food service
- 01
Raw material purchasing
- 02
Cleaning, sorting, cutting (Thuringia)
- 03
Flavouring / decaffeination / treatment / extraction
- 04
Blending / product development
- 05
Packing & packaging concepts
- 06
Warehousing & distribution (Hamburg, USA)
Raw Materials & Processing
Black Tea
Basic variety in different leaf grades and quality levels, also decaffeinated.
Green Tea
Also available as extracts and decaffeinated variants.
White Tea
Mild, fine varieties as loose goods and extract.
Oolong
Semi-fermented tea for specialty blends.
Yellow Tea
Rarely fermented tea specialty.
Pu-Erh
Post-fermented tea sourced through our own procurement.
Rooibos & Honeybush
Caffeine-free infusions from South Africa.
Fruits, Herbs, Blossoms & Spices
Single components or ingredients for blends; cleaning, sorting and cut sizes at the company's own plant.
Tea Extracts
Hot/cold water-soluble, spray-dried and freeze-dried as well as liquid extracts for RTD and compounds.
Locations
Hamburg
DEHeadquarters, Production & Warehouse
- Materials
- Tea, rooibos, herbs, fruits, extracts
- World's largest specialty tea warehouse
- CO2 pressure treatment
- Flavouring
- Packing
Thuringia
DEProcessing plant (cleaning, sorting, cutting)
- Materials
- Fruits, herbs, spices, blossoms
- Cut sizes: coarse cut, specialty cut, fine cut, granulates
Westport, CT
USBranch Haelssen & Lyon North America Corp.: warehousing, blending & packing
- Materials
- Tea, herbs, fruits, extracts
- Local warehousing
- Blending & packing in the USA
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO2 pressure treatmentOther | – | – | – | – | Tea |
| Flavouring of tea (flavouring processes since 1967, also Juicea – flavouring withOther | – | – | – | – | Black tea, Green tea, White tea, Rooibos, Fruits, Herbs |
| Decaffeination of tea – natural CO2 (high-pressure process), E/A (ethyl acetate), M/COther | – | – | – | – | Black tea, Green tea |
| Dry extraction of tea – hot/cold water-soluble, spray-dried and freeze-dried extractsOther | – | – | – | – | Black tea, Green tea, Herbs, Fruits |
| Production of liquid tea extracts and beverage compounds (RTD beverage bases)Other | – | – | – | – | Black tea, Green tea, Herbs, Fruits |
| Instant powder mixes and pre-mixes – in-house development and refiningOther | – | – | – | – | Tea extracts, Herbs, Fruits |
| Cleaning, sorting and cutting of fruits, herbs and spices at the company's own plant in ThuringiaOther | – | – | – | – | Fruits, Herbs, Spices, Blossoms |
| Tea blending (individual recipes, blended and packed in the USA)Other | – | – | – | – | Tea, Herbs, Fruits |
| Tea packing – bulk goods, 1-kg bags, tea bags, boxes, tins, convenience systems, privateOther | – | – | – | – | Tea, Rooibos, Herbs, Fruits |
| Product development of tea recipes and concepts (among others Cold Brew, iced tea syrup, brew tEngineering | – | – | – | – | Tea, Herbs, Fruits |
Additional services
Quality & Certificates
Production is carried out according to IFS Food (higher level) and the HACCP concept; SMETA audits (since 2011) and EcoVadis assessments (since 2016) are conducted regularly.
| Evidence | Hamburg | Thuringia | Westport, CT |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFS Food (higher level) | |||
| HACCP | |||
| SMETA (SEDEX) | |||
| EcoVadis | |||
| NOP (Organic) | |||
| Fairtrade | |||
| Rainforest Alliance | |||
| Kosher |
History
- 1879
Foundation of the tea trading company by Alfred Moritz Lyon and Gustav Vincent Hälssen; a few years later first tenants in the Hamburg Speicherstadt.
- 1935
Development of a decaffeination process for tea; for decades the only producers
- 1959
Construction of the world's first instant tea factory in an origin country (Sri Lanka)
- 1967
Development of flavouring processes for tea
- 1978
Introduction of decaffeinated teas in North America; active member of the US Tea Association
- 1996
Co-founding of the Specialty Tea Institute
- 2005
Opening of the US branch Haelssen & Lyon North America Corp. in Westport, CT
- 2011
Start of regular SMETA audits
- 2015
Start of drafting the CSR policy according to UN Global Compact
- 2016
Start of the EcoVadis assessment
- 2019
Partnership with ClimatePartner for CO2 accounting and climate protection projects
- 2023
Introduction of a global electronic whistleblowing system (May)