Whittard of Chelsea

Whittard of Chelsea is a British chain of shops selling coffee, tea and related products. It was started by Walter Whittard in 1886, and remained in his family until 1973. In 1996 it was floated on the Alternative Investment Market, and expanded rapidly, building a chain of about 120 shops and several tea rooms.^: 195 It went bankrupt in 2008; more than fifty of the shops were closed, and the company was restructured into private equity ownership. ^: 195 The chain has more than fifty shops in the United Kingdom, and one in Taiwan.