Beloved British tea brand Typhoo has unfortunately fallen into administration after 121 years but a Manchester company could be set to save it from the jaws of insolvency.
Undoubtedly one of the biggest and best-known brands in the UK, not to mention the teabag of choice for millions up and down the country, Typhoo is a household name to most and has been a mainstay in supermarkets and newsagents for longer than we’ve been alive.
Despite its long-standing reputation and catering to a market of obsessive tea drinkers who aren’t going anywhere, the brew business has proved difficult for them, with a steady decline in sales and increasing losses year on year, as well as levels of debt creeping up to a now unsustainable point.
Financial advisory firm Kroll has now been appointed to handle the administration and find a buyer for the tea business, with a Manchester-headquartered company currently believed to be the frontrunner.
Supreme PLC is London-listed but has a HQ in Manchester.The old Tyhpoo factory which closed last year.Typhoo could be pulled back from the brink of administration. (Credit: Supreme via Facebook)/Rept0n1x via Wikimedia Commons)
Typhoo has been struggling to keep a foothold in the tea markets in recent years – suffering a significant setback when its Merseyside factory on the Wirral was broken into back in August 2023 – however, they have now been given a lifeline by a company just down the road in Stretford.
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According to industry news outlet, Proactive Investors, vape and battery distributors Supreme Imports (based over in Trafford Park) are now said to be in ‘advanced talks’ to buy the tea brand and save it from going belly up after well over a century on our shelves.
The Bristol-based veterans were acquired by Zetland Capital back in 2021 which looked to have stabilised finances for a little while, but despite steadying the ship in the immediate, the last three years have seen a return to turbulent times.
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While administration should keep them afloat while a sale is secured, there is still the matter of sizeable debt to be contested with; as of September last year, Typhoo owed more than £73 million to creditors – a whole £20m more than the previous year. In contrast, Supreme recently posted pe-tax profits of £14.7m.
Meanwhile, serious dips in revenue haven’t helped, with losses of around 25% recorded in the previous financial year and the closure of the Moreton plant (which contributed to approximately £24.1m worth of “exceptional costs”) leaving them at risk of going total collapse. It isn’t the heavyweight it once was.
Not for sale in Asda or Tesco for a long time. That doesn’t help!
Conversely, with a diverse portfolio including not only vapes and batteries but lightbulbs, protein powder and bars; other e-cigarette items, the Clearly Drinks brand and even Sealions sleep gummies, Supreme are in the position to potentially rescue Typhoo, although a buyout deal is not yet finalised.
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It’s unclear what the PLC will ultimately do with the brand should the acquisition be completed but it could prove to be a big coup if they can help it recover.
More importantly, with more than 100 jobs at risk throughout the company, not to mention Tyhpoo’s heritage as a historically significant domestic brand, we would love nothing more than to see the much-loved brew-makers back on their feet and livelihoods kept intact thanks to a local brand of our own.
Manchester City’s alleged charges have been increased to 130
Danny Jones
Manchester City’s hearing over their 115 alleged breaches of FFP (financial fair play) has ended and the outcome is that their charges have now been increased to 130.
Not exactly what Blues will want to hear.
The hearing officially concluded last Friday, 6 December after a 12-week process to determine whether they broke Premier League regulations regarding PSR (profit and sustainability), with accusations initially spanning a nine-year period.
However, rather than making any progress when it comes to clearing their record, it looks as though the opposite has happened.
Man City are now alleged to have committed 130 breaches of Premier League rules with both parties still able to enter an official appeal.
The hearing was held at the International Dispute Resolution Centre near St Paul’s in London, kicking off in September before coming to a close on Friday, 6 December.
Fans will no doubt have been hoping for and maybe even expecting a much more positive update, especially after having been successful in their recent case against the division regarding sponsorship deals and Associated Party Transactions (APT).
As well as the number of alleged breaches having risen to 130, the period of offence is also now said to have been extended, jumping from just under a decade to a total of 14 years.
The Times writer Martyn Ziegler says the club could quietly learn of their fate as soon as next month and even though a final decision still isn’t expected until spring 2025, should either side appeal the final outcome, this will likely draw out proceedings for several more months.
Man City’s charges have gone from 115 to 130. (Credit: The Manc Group)
For context, City still deny all of the claims laid against them, which include failing to provide accurate financial information for as many as nine seasons, full details of players’ wages, hiding the true figure former manager Roberto Mancini was paid for her service, as well as failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation and UEFA’s FFP rules.
The club were slapped with a two-year European ban back in 2020 and have been fined by the European footballing body previously, but that ban was ultimately dropped and even their most recent financial punishment was dropped from £30 million to just £10m – chump change given their spending power.
It still remains unclear what exactly will happen to the reigning English champions if they are found guilty but with Pep Guardiola’s also struggling for form of late, having lost five games in a row for the first time in the Catalan’s career, those inside the Etihad could do with some good news.
The blue moon that has loomed over Manchester in recent years is looking a little lost behind the clouds at the minute.
Manchester Airport trains cancelled more than any other UK airport during Christmas season
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport sees more trains cancelled during the Christmas season than any other UK airport, a new study has revealed.
We’re certainly no stranger to a train cancellation or prolonged delay here in the North West, and train services to and from our region’s airport – which is the third busiest airport in the UK, and the largest outside of London – tend to be among the most cancelled of them.
But now, a new study by Arriva has found that Manchester Airport trains are as unreliable as we think… in fact, the most unreliable in the country.
As Christmas fast approaches, many people will be set to make some important journeys to visit family abroad, or to just escape cold weather, but due to transport prices increasing and regular cancellations occurring, it’s been found that more than half (51%) of Brits suffer from travel nerves, which is why knowing the most effective route to your nearest major airport matters.
Transport company Arriva has conducted a new study revealing the most efficient and cost-effective airport transport method this December for the five largest airports in the UK.
A new study has found that trains to Manchester Airport are cancelled more than any other UK airport during the Christmas season / Credit: Ivan Shimko (via Unsplash)
And you can probably guess the train isn’t one of them.
According to the study, Manchester Airport experienced a total of 626 train cancellations last December in 2023, with Northern Rail services accounting for the majority of them with 492 services failing to turn up – making our region’s airport number one on the list nationwide.
5pm to 9pm was also found to be the worst time to travel by train to Manchester Airport during the last festive season, with 169 cancellations.
Top 5 UK airports with the most Christmas train cancellations
Manchester Airport – 626
Heathrow Airport – 220
Luton Airport – 135
London Stansted Airport – 76
Gatwick Airport – 18
Heathrow Airport follows in second place with 220 cancellations in December 2023, while Luton Airport ranks in third with 135 cancellations, and the 6am to 11am timeframe found to be the worst time to travel with 39 cancellations.
While travelling to the airport is often dictated by the time of your flight, this new research has also ranked the best and worst times of day to travel, depending on the number of train cancellations.
It was found that midday between 11am and 2pm was the best time to travel, with only 167 cancellations in comparison to the 245 cancellations experienced between 5-9pm which is the worst.
Danny Jones -
29th November 2024 
