Founded 1849 in Moscow. Tsar's tea supplier. Largest tea firm in the Russian Empire. Survived revolution, Holocaust, rebuilt in Tel Aviv 1936. 76% of the Israeli tea market ($68M). 200+ blends. Declared a monopoly in green tea (June 2023). Fifth-generation family-owned.
Wissotzky Tea is Israel's largest tea company, founded in Moscow in 1849 and still run by the founding family five generations later. It was the official tea supplier to the Russian imperial court and the largest tea firm in the Russian Empire before the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution forced it to abandon its Russian operations entirely. The family rebuilt in Tel Aviv starting in 1936, and in 2023 Israel's antitrust authority declared Wissotzky a monopoly in the green tea and herbal infusion categories.
How Did Wissotzky Become the Tsar's Tea Supplier?
Kalonimus Wolf Wissotzky, a Jewish merchant, founded the company in Moscow in 1849 at age 25, at a moment when tea drinking was rapidly gaining popularity across Russia. The company grew quickly into one of the country's most prosperous tea distributors and was eventually named the exclusive tea supplier to the Russian Emperor's Court. By 1900, Wissotzky had acquired its own tea plantations in India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to supply growing Russian demand, and by the early 20th century it had become the largest tea manufacturer in the world, expanding with branches in New York, London, Poland, and Italy.
How Did the Company Survive the Russian Revolution and the Holocaust?
The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution forced Wissotzky to abandon its Russian operations after the Soviet government nationalized the company, wiping out its holdings inside Russia. Solomon (Shalom) Seidler, a descendant of the founder, escaped to Poland to keep the business running internationally, but the Nazi occupation shut the company down again during World War II; Seidler and most of his family perished in the Holocaust. His son, Simon Seidler, survived and immigrated to British Mandate Palestine in 1936, where a family relative, Shimon Zeidler, had already opened the company's first tea plant in Tel Aviv that same year. That factory became the foundation of the modern, Israel-based Wissotzky Tea.
How Big Is Wissotzky's Share of the Israeli Tea Market?
Wissotzky is Israel's largest tea importer and manufacturer, operating in a domestic tea market valued at roughly $68 million, with a portfolio of about 200 tea blends spanning black, green, herbal, fruit, and rooibos varieties. The company has expanded beyond tea into olive oil, olives, baked goods, and, since 2016, ready-to-drink iced tea. It runs a 37,000-square-meter manufacturing and packaging facility in the Galilee and exports to the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Sweden, South Korea, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, alongside its roughly 400 employees and offices in London and the United States. Wissotzky's durable family ownership places it alongside other long-running Israeli manufacturers — see Sano and Tempo Beer Industries.
Why Did Israel Declare Wissotzky a Monopoly?
In June 2023, the Israel Competition Authority designated Wissotzky a de facto monopoly, finding that the company held more than 70% market share in the green tea and herbal infusion categories, well above the 50% threshold used to define a "large supplier" under Israeli law. The regulator found Wissotzky's market power let it charge higher prices than competitors and required retailers to allot shelf space on its own terms, tying certain product lines to others. It was the first time in 20 years that Israel's antitrust authority had declared a food company a monopoly. The ruling did not extend to the black tea and flavored black tea markets, where investigators found Wissotzky's share fell below 50% and a meaningful competitor remained active.
Snapshot
| Founded | 1849, Moscow, by Kalonimus Wolf Wissotzky |
|---|---|
| Israel operations established | 1936, Tel Aviv |
| Ownership | Privately held, Wissotzky/Seidler family, 5th generation |
| Israeli tea market size | ~$68 million |
| Monopoly designation | June 2023, green tea & herbal infusions (>70% share) |
| Product range | ~200 tea blends, plus olive oil and baked goods |
| Employees | ~400 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Wissotzky Tea?
Wissotzky remains privately owned by descendants of founder Kalonimus Wolf Wissotzky, now in its fifth generation of family leadership under chairman Shalom Seidler.
Was Wissotzky really the Tsar's tea supplier?
Yes. Wissotzky became the official, exclusive tea supplier to the Russian imperial court in the second half of the 19th century, before the 1917 Revolution ended its Russian operations.
Why was Wissotzky declared a monopoly?
Israel's Competition Authority found in 2023 that Wissotzky held more than 70% market share in green tea and herbal infusions, giving it pricing power and shelf-space leverage over competitors.
Is Wissotzky still headquartered in Israel?
Yes. Wissotzky has been based in Tel Aviv since rebuilding there starting in 1936, with a manufacturing facility in the Galilee and additional offices in London and the United States.
Olam Coverage
See the full Israeli Consumer Brands map for how Wissotzky compares to Sano, Tempo Beer Industries, and other family-controlled Israeli consumer brands.
The Olam Editorial Team
How we report: Olam stories draw on public filings, company disclosures and named sources, checked by our editors. Read our methodology · Corrections
