The History of Tea

In 1700 around 20,000 lbs of tea was imported into England. By 1750 tea had become the most popular drink in England and by 1800 this had risen a thousand-fold to the point where tea had replaced ale as the favoured drink at English breakfast tables. English afternoon tea was introduced by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford as a reviver in the long gap between lunch and dinner. It soon became a great social tradition.

Tea was first grown in India, in upper Assam, in 1823 from native tea bushes by Robert Bruce of the East India Company. The first shipment of Indian teas was to London in 1838. In the nineteenth century the Dutch went on to establish plantations in Indonesia and by the 1870s the English had established tea cultivation in Ceylon.

Black tea was first produced in China during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) for trading with the West as it is less perishable than green tea, i.e. it has a longer shelf-life. It was not made for domestic consumption and indeed today black tea is rarely drunk in China. Since the days of Empire black teas have been produced in many countries of the world.

Black tea was initially imported by the Dutch and it was briefly fashionable in Holland and France before being imported into England where it developed from fashion to popular appeal. By the eighteenth century tea had replaced beer in England as the nation’s most popular drink. Now black tea is the staple drink for Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. The United Kingdom and Ireland are especially large consumers and make up the world’s largest export market for tea from the tea producing countries.

London Tea Auctions were conducted at East India House from 1679, located on Leadenhall Street. They moved to the London Commercial Sale Rooms in 1837 on Mincing Lane, known as ‘the street of tea’. In 1937 they again moved to Plantation House which was distinguished by a 21 ft high auction room surrounded by colourful shields representing tea producing countries. Sir John Lyon House became the location of the London Tea auctions from 1971 and, finally, in 1990 they moved to London Chamber of Commerce. They closed on 29th June 1998 to be replaced by telephone and internet bidding. Now most buying is done in the country of origin. Kenya and India now have large trading markets.

See our page dedicated to Black Tea