Tea history blog blog posts e.g. London’s tea sites, 18th Century Tea Chests, Silver teaware, Earl Grey Tea and the Man, Tea Clippers, Darjeeling Tea History, Russian Caravan.
Our series on where you can drink good tea in historic tearooms with unforgettable surroundings. Willow Tea Rooms, Glasgow These historic tearooms were designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The Cranston family were great supporters of him. Stuart Cranston, a tea merchant, opened a tearoom which proved a great success. This inspired other tearooms throughout the […]
18th Century Tea Chests: for a valuable new commodity Tea first exported from China to England in was extremely expensive and was stored in ceramic Chinese caddies, frequently blue and white. Soon tea chests were made in which to keep these tea caddies under lock and key and to be placed in the drawing room. […]
Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, 8th May 2025 In a small way tea did help secure victory for British forces as a significant part of the allied war effort. Tea in the war was and remains a cultural icon, refreshing and fortifying the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force in combat operations […]
Silver teaware: the ultimate luxury from which to serve good tea. From its earliest days when tea was introduced to Britain (in 1644) and Europe when tea was a hugely expensive luxury, locked away in tea chests, the beverage has been served in silver teaware appropriate for the expense of the tea and the wealth […]
Below we list a number of tea locations scattered around the City of London, some dating back centuries. They are significant in terms or tea sourcing, trading and consumption as well as the expansion of tea growing nations in colonial times. The George Inn, 57 Borough High Street, a traditional galleried coaching inn dating back […]
Discover more about Grey’s Monument, Earl Grey and the tea Grey’s Monument in Newcastle was built in 1838 and celebrates the passing of the Great Reform Bill by Charles, second Earl Grey, Prime Minister, in 1832. He had the famous tea named in his honour. Today, Earl Grey tea is the most famous blend but […]
Tea Clippers: Not beaten for speed until air-freight. In the 1850’s there was huge competition to build ever leaner and faster tea clippers to bring the harvest from China to Europe and north America. This was epitomised by the Champion of the Seas which in 1854 sailed 465 miles in one day – a feat […]
Darjeeling Tea History: from 1859 The name Darjeeling (Dorje ling) is derived from the Tibetan name, \’Land of the Thunderbolt\’ due to its close proximity to the peaks of Kachenjunga. From around Darjeeling comes one of the most famous teas in the world, celebrated for its muscatel character which makes it highly sought-after as an afternoon […]
Russian Caravan: a long-established and popular, aromatic blended tea Nizhny Novgorod, today a UNESCO heritage site Russian Caravan tea is traditionally prepared in a samovar and it became a national drink for all sections of Russian society. There was considerable demand for this tea which was imported by land from China. It was frequently served […]
