A.C. Perch's Thehandel, Scandinavia's oldest tea shop since 1835
A.C. Perch's Thehandel is the oldest tea house in Scandinavia, founded in Copenhagen in 1835 and still family-owned today. From Kronprinsensgade 5 come black, green and white teas, Oolong, Rooibos and herbal blends, many of them organic, and the house has held the title of Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court since 2002.
A.C. Perch's Thehandel has stood for Danish tea culture for nearly 200 years. The establishment at Kronprinsensgade 5 in Copenhagen has been selling tea since 1835, always family-run, and now in its seventh generation. It is known for its signature blends like White Temple, for cornstarch pyramid bags, and for its title as Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court. If you are looking for good tea in Denmark, this is the place to go.
Niels Brock Perch founds the tea house in 1835
A.C. Perch's Thehandel was founded in 1835 by Niels Brock Perch, who named the small shop after his third eldest son, Axel Christian Perch. This shop became the oldest tea merchant in Scandinavia.
Back then, Copenhagen was an important gateway for the tea trade from the Far East. In the 18th century, known in Denmark as the "Florissante" or golden age, many of the Asiatic Company's ship cargoes from Christianshavn consisted largely of tea, alongside porcelain from the Far East. It was during this time that Niels opened his shop at Kronprinsensgade 5, with the goal of bringing the world's best teas to Copenhagen to offer to his customers.
In 1894, the Hincheldey Ravn family took over the tea business and continues to run it to this day. Thus, the family history spans many generations, from Else Hincheldey, who once added Earl Grey to the assortment, to the current owners.
The small shop and its fine teas quickly became a great success, and so, for nearly 200 years, successive generations of the same family have stood behind the counter. Anyone who enters the shop immediately senses this long history in the furniture, the scents, and the calm with which tea is sold and weighed by hand, without any rush at all.
Black, green, white, Oolong and Rooibos
The range extends from robust black tea and delicate white tea to caffeine-free Rooibos and herbal infusions, available loose in tins or in pyramid bags. The blends are bold, floral and fruity—there is something for every time of day and every taste.
The most famous blend is the White Temple, a fruity signature blend of white and green tea with candied fruits, often copied but never equaled. Alongside it are classics such as the floral Darjeeling First Flush from the Himalayas and the mild Earl Grey with bergamot on a Chinese Keemun base.
Those who prefer something fruity and caffeine-free should reach for the Green Rooibos Sea Breeze with sea buckthorn and pineapple, which tastes great hot or as iced tea. The smaller and larger bag packs are now clearly labeled by count: ten bags for gifting or twenty-five for your pantry.
Additionally, there are semi-fermented Oolongs, green teas with mint, rhubarb, or lemon and ginger, the smooth Afternoon Tea for the later part of the day, and the creamy Rooibos Vanilla for the evening. Many varieties are available hot in winter and iced in summer; some loose in beautiful round tins, others practical in bags for on the go. You can find the entire collection on our shelf with loose leaf tea and bags.
Family, craftsmanship and pyramid bags
Behind A.C. Perch's lies not a corporation, but a family and traditional tea craftsmanship, with blends put together by hand and the commitment to maintain consistent quality across generations.
The retail shop in Copenhagen looks much as it did at its founding. The counter, the wooden shelves, the golden leather wallpaper, the brass tea canisters, and the old apothecary scale all date back to the early days, carefully maintained and restored. A sign with a golden teapot hangs on the wall outside; inside, loose blends are still weighed by hand—quietly and precisely—as if little had changed since the beginning.
The packaging also carries on this care. The pyramid bags are made from cornstarch, and the transparent individual wrappers are made of NatureFlex, a cellulose-based film that protects the aroma. Many of the house's teas are also organic certified, from the Darjeeling to the Sea Breeze.
The business has long since grown beyond a single shop. In addition to the flagship store in Copenhagen, there are tea shops and tea rooms in Aarhus and Odense, at Copenhagen Airport, and in Oslo and Stockholm, where you can sample the blends with a cup on-site. The core, however, remains Kronprinsensgade 5, where it all began and where the house retains its tranquility and character to this day.
By the way, you can experience the most wonderful teatime in Copenhagen in the tea room above the shop. There, one floor up, the blends are freshly brewed and served with scones, clotted cream, and lemon curd—a small escape in the middle of the city. If you are in Copenhagen, you shouldn't miss out on this cup above the shop.
Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court since 2002
In 2002, Queen Margrethe II appointed the Hincheldey Ravn family as Purveyors to the Royal Danish Court, recognition for consistent quality over many decades.
A.C. Perch's has long supplied the Danish Royal House with tea and specially curated blends. Annelise and Henning Hincheldey Ravn managed the business in the sixth generation and handed it over to their two children, siblings Stine Hincheldey Alwen and Christian Hincheldey. Stine and Christian now lead the house together, upholding the old traditions of the trade. Their parents enjoy their retirement by relaxing with a cup of tea and scones with clotted cream and lemon curd, in true British tea-time tradition.
The house does not carry the title "Scandinavia's oldest tea merchant" as a marketing slogan, but as a deep-rooted history. Over 190 years of tea from a single source, from the ship cargo of the 18th century to the small packet of today—that is a rarity. Hats off to them.
White Temple and Cool Herbal, two favorites
If you aren't familiar with A.C. Perch's yet, start with their signature: White Temple. Light, fruity, and perfect for every day, hot in winter and as iced tea in summer. This will immediately give you a feel for the fruity, Danish signature of the house.
For the evening, we love the caffeine-free Cool Herbal with cool mint, for those times when a black tea would keep you awake too long. As a small gift, the royal Queens Blend loose in a tin is a great choice, complete with gift box and ribbon—a blend created in honor of Queen Margrethe.
If you would like more tea from the North, take a look at the Copenhagen Sparkling Tea Company as well. On warm days, it is worth brewing a large pot and chilling it; many of the fruity blends become refreshing iced teas this way. Otherwise, simply work your way through the A.C. Perch's assortment, one cup at a time, and let yourself be charmed by the calm Danish tea culture.
