Latvian tea brand appreciated both in Asia and the USA

Born in the Prauliena Parish of Madona District, company PLŪKT is an inspiring tale of how to build an international business from nature’s bounty. Having started out in 2017 as a small business founded by a mother and daughter – Māra and Līga Lieplapa – today PLŪKT is one of the most sustainable tea producers in Europe. They proudly call themselves pioneers of Nordic tea culture, offering premium herbal teas gathered in Latvian nature as an alternative to the traditional black and green teas.

From the very outset, the founders aimed to not only create a high-quality and natural product, but also carry Latvia’s name out into the world. “Latvia’s meadows and forests have such a diverse and unique offering of plants, and we wanted to show that abundance to the world,” Māra Lieplapa explains. Today, PLŪKT teas are exported to 23 countries, including the USA, Australia, Japan, and Singapore. 

PLŪKT is among the 2% of tea producers globally who offer genuinely sustainable tea. Their unique teabags made of plant fibres are fully compostable which is in line with the company’s objective to promote maintenance of biodiversity in Northern Europe. Moreover, PLŪKT offers an alternative to black and green tea by making use of wild Fireweed gathered in Latvia. Not only does such a company in Latvia substitute for imported tea, but it also boosts the local economy, environmental sustainability and biodiversity.

Support provided by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) has also played an important role in the growth of the company, as the company made active use of this support to kick-off its business activity. “When we entered the incubator, we had just developed our brand image, but we had not yet begun sales. The incubator helped us create our first batches of packaged tea and soon thereafter we started exporting to the USA and Australia,” Māra Lieplapa shares the company’s experience. Thanks to the opportunities provided by the incubator and the international expos that the company participated in, PLŪKT was able to rapidly expand its operations. Upon its graduation from the incubator, the company’s turnover had already reached EUR 130 000, and today PLŪKT teas are enjoyed by people all around the world. 

Since 2024, the Business Incubation Aid Program has been implemented by LIAA representative offices in Latvia and any company up to the age of 5 operating in the supported sectors can apply for the programme.

This article has been produced with financial support from the European Regional Development Fund, Small and Medium Enterprises Programme, Incubator Subproject.