Pryce Tea is a Singaporean gourmet tea brand established by Lim Tian Peng in 2012. The company specializes in premium and contemporary tea blends that merge traditional Chinese tea heritage with modern ingredients and presentation styles. It operates within the broader family tea enterprise associated with Lim Lam Thye, a historic Singapore tea company dating back to 1918 1.

The brand has gained recognition for its “Singapore-inspired” teas, premium Chinese varieties, personalized hospitality blends, and gift collections. Its products are served in luxury settings, including Singapore Airlines, hotels, and fine-dining establishments. Pryce Tea states that its portfolio includes more than 50 teas recognized by the U.K. Great Taste Awards.

Family origins

Pryce Tea’s history is rooted in the Lim family’s long-standing involvement in Singapore’s tea trade. The family business began with Lim Lam Thye, which was established in Singapore in 1918 by Lim Tian Peng’s great-grandmother. Initially operating as a provision shop, it evolved into a supplier of tea to Chinese restaurants before transitioning into tea manufacturing 2.

Lim Tian Peng serves as the fourth-generation steward of this family enterprise. While managing the business, he identified an opportunity to create a tea brand that would appeal to younger generations and consumers seeking alternatives to conventional Chinese tea 3.

Founding of Pryce Tea

Lim Tian Peng founded Pryce Tea in 2012 with the aim of offering a modern interpretation of premium tea while preserving the family’s traditional knowledge. Rather than focusing solely on traditional varieties, the brand developed blends using unexpected combinations of tea leaves, flowers, herbs, fruits, and other ingredients. This philosophy centers on the intersection of tea tradition and contemporary flavor design.

While some sources describe the commercial establishment as occurring in 2013, current company materials and profiles of founder Lim Tian Peng identify 2012 as the founding year.

Pryce Tea’s core proposition involves modernizing the tea experience without abandoning its heritage. The company describes itself as an award-winning purveyor of gourmet teas, emphasizing the curation of tea experiences rather than merely selling tea leaves. Its portfolio spans traditional Chinese teas, flavored teas, caffeine-free infusions, Singapore-themed creations, luxury gift collections, and teas developed specifically for hospitality partners.

A distinctive aspect of the brand is its use of storytelling through tea. Individual blends are frequently associated with places, cultural references, historical moments, or sensory experiences, a approach most visible in the Singapore Collection.

Singapore Collection

The Singapore Collection is one of Pryce Tea’s most recognizable product families. Introduced around Singapore’s 50th Jubilee Celebration in 2015, the collection translates recognizable Singaporean icons, flavors, and cultural references into tea. Pryce planned to introduce new teas representing different aspects of Singapore’s development and identity 2.

Examples include:

• Singapore Sling: A caffeine-free infusion inspired by the famous cocktail, using tropical flavors.
• Vanda Miss Joaquim: Inspired by Singapore’s national flower, incorporating Tie Guan Yin with orchid.
• Ginger Garden: Inspired by the Ginger Garden at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
• Pandan Chiffon: Based on the familiar Singaporean pandan chiffon cake.
• Ketupat: Inspired by the fragrant rice dish, incorporating Imperial Pu Erh.
• 1819: A blend referencing Singapore’s early colonial history and multicultural food culture.
• Collyer Quay: Inspired by the historical character of Singapore’s waterfront district.
• 1904: Inspired by the history of Sentosa and daily tea once associated with British soldiers there.
• Siloso Night: A Sentosa-inspired blend developed for hospitality use.

This collection functions as a culinary and cultural interpretation of Singapore rather than just a geographic marketing label.

Traditional and premium Chinese teas

The Majestic Treasures collection focuses on premium Chinese teas from regions such as Yunnan and Fujian. Products include Glutinous Pu Erh, Lychee Red Tea, and Osmanthus Tie Guan Yin.

Contemporary blends

Pryce produces blends combining traditional tea bases with modern botanical and fruit ingredients. Examples include Lychee Osmanthus, Kyoho Oolong, Osmanthus Oolong, Hakuto Peach Oolong, Pink Gingerlily, Minty Night, and Cocoon Night.

Caffeine-free teas

The brand offers a range of naturally caffeine-free infusions. Singapore Sling is made as a rooibos-based infusion, while products like Pandan Chiffon utilize botanical ingredients instead of conventional caffeinated tea leaves.

Pryce Tea has received significant recognition at the Great Taste Awards, organized by the U.K. Guild of Fine Food. The company states it has accumulated more than 50 Great Taste-awarded teas. Takashimaya notes that the brand won more than 20 awards in consecutive years, including a record nine awards in 2020. This external validation supports Pryce’s positioning as a premium Singaporean tea producer 1.

Several Singapore-inspired teas have also received recognition, helping differentiate the brand from conventional tea companies whose awards are primarily associated with traditional varieties.

Alongside retail products, Pryce Tea has developed a substantial B2B and hospitality-oriented business. The brand has supplied or collaborated with organizations including Singapore Airlines, Far East Hospitality, and Millennium & Copthorne International. It develops teas specifically for hotels and food-service establishments 5.

A key component of this business is custom tea development. Pryce creates blends designed around a hotel’s identity, location, or culinary concept. For instance, teas associated with Sentosa’s hotel properties were created specifically to reflect the character of those locations. The Barracks Hotel at Sentosa lists Pryce Tea as its tea curator and serves the brand’s 1904 signature tea.

Pryce Tea states that its tea bags do not use materials derived from petroleum, opting instead for bio-friendly, biodegradable materials. The company reports that its products undergo periodic food-safety assessments and are certified according to ISO 22000 standards. Its ingredient repertoire includes over 1,000 components, reflecting an emphasis on blending tea with flowers, fruits, herbs, and spices.

Lim Tian Peng is the founder and tea master associated with Pryce Tea. As the fourth generation of his family involved in the tea business, he sought to create a brand that could introduce tea to modern consumers through adventurous flavors while preserving inherited knowledge. His approach balances traditional tea craftsmanship with contemporary product development 4.

Pryce Tea represents a generation of Singaporean brands moving beyond the perception of tea as simply a traditional beverage. Its contribution combines Singapore heritage, Chinese tea tradition, modern flavor development, and luxury hospitality. This allows the company to serve both consumers looking for premium retail teas and hospitality businesses seeking distinctive, story-driven tea experiences.

Pryce is connected to the broader family ecosystem surrounding Singapore’s tea industry. It shares a sister-brand relationship with Gryphon Tea Company, with Pryce positioned more toward Chinese tea and customization.

1. Pryce Tea | Mid-Autumn Festival at Takashimaya
2. Singapore Collection – Pryce Tea
3. Pryce Tea
4. Lim Lam Thye Pte Ltd (Pryce Tea
5. The Peak Singapore — Pryce Tea and hospitality