Tea in the UK
The UK is the world's second largest annual tea consumption per capita with 2.5 kg, behind Ireland, 2.7 kg. China and India show only 0.5 kg per person. This represents an average of three cups of tea per day for each Columbia, for a total of about 165 million per day or 60.2 billion per year.
History of tea in the UK
Whether it's a cup of tea or five o'clock tea, tea seems written in the genes of the British. According to a study commissioned in 2011, they consume over 165 million cups every day, or 60.2 billion per year.
The English were not immediately attracted to the tea. Coffee remained the favorite drink in cafes, frequented mainly by men. Craze for tea began gradually in women who perceived it as a refined drink.
In 1657, opened the first store selling tea in England. It sold imported by the Dutch tea.
The popularity of tea began to grow and increase its consumption in pubs in London. The drink gained legitimacy when Charles II married Catherine of Braganza, a member of the Portuguese royal family who loved tea and introduced the concept of Tea time at court.
Shortly after, the English East India Company, which competed with the Dutch trade tea, set foot on the eastern market for the first time by getting a tea factory in Macao.
The tea market in the UK
Even if consumption falls, Britain remains in the early 2000's first market for tea in Western Europe: 87% by volume and 92% by volume for black tea.
In 2005, sales reached 117,000 tonnes against 128,000 in 2000. Black tea bag has the least side, while organic teas, green, fair, fruit growing.
The UK market is down (-16% to -9% for bags and loose tea the last two years).
In the early 1960's, the tea bag is less than 3% of sales, while today 96% of the approximately 160,000 tons of tea imported each year in the UK are sold in bags, more practical and faster to use.
British tea brands
- Ahmad
Ahmad Tea is a company that produces a range of tea bags, loose tea, black tea, green tea, flavored teas, herbal teas Chandler Ford, Hampshire since 2010. - Akbar
Akbar Brothers is a tea company based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. - Barrys
The Barrys tea company was founded in 1901 in Cork, Ireland. - Betty & Taylors of Harrogate
Betty & Taylors of Harrogate is a family tea company located in North and West Yorkshire, England, since 1919. - Bewley
Bewleys, a chain of Irish tea salon created in 1840, sold more than 600 million cups of tea and coffee each year. - Brodies
Brodie, Edinburgh coffee and tea merchant since 1867. Its mission is to provide its customers with teas and quality coffee, freshly roasted. - Brooke Bond
Brooke Bond is a brand of British tea founded in 1869 in Manchester. It is owned by the Unilever group. - Chinese Tea
Chinese Tea Company based in Notting Hill, London stock over 60 different types of teas that includes selections from green tea, Oolong tea, Puer tea, white tea, jasmine tea, herbal tea and Oolong tea from Taiwan. - Clipper
Clipper is a British company specializing in fair trade tea and organic teas and fair trade coffees. - Darvilles of Windsor
Darvilles of Windsor is an English family business established for over 140 years. We opened our first shop and tearoom in 1860 and since then, six generations of Darvilles continued the tradition of providing the best specialty teas. - East India Company
East India Company, based in London since 1664, offers 120 varieties of teas. - Finlays
Founded in 1750, Finlays is a tea merchant prominent in the world, with more than 100 million pounds each year. - Glengettie
Glengettie is a mixture of tea to consumers Wales marketed since 1952. Glengettie the brand is owned by Typhoo Tea Company, which is part of the Apeejay Surrendra Group, an Indian conglomerate. - Harney
Harney and Sons. Merchants tea in London. - Hornimans
Horniman is a tea brand owned by Douwe Egberts and founded in 1826 in Newport, Isle of Wight. In 1852, the company moved to London to be closer to the London docks, and the largest commercial port in the world of tea. In 1891 Horniman Tea was the largest trading company of tea in the world. - Jacksons of Piccadilly
Jacksons of Piccadilly is a house situated in London tea, created in 1815. The brand belongs to R. Twinings and Company Limited. - Jing
Launched in 2004 in London, Jing tea is enjoyed by customers in 75 countries worldwide, and in exceptional restaurants and luxury hotels. Range of loose teas and tea bags, tea whole leaf includes authentic examples of fine teas from Asia, China, Taiwan, Japan, India and Sri Lanka. - Kly
Created in 1997, Kly occupies a leading position in the green tea market with 2000 tons imported annually. - Lyons
Lyons is the favorite tea of the Irish since 1902. - Lipton
Lipton is an international food brand specializing in soups, tea and tea based beverages. Created in the 1870's by Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton, it is now part of Unilever. The Lipton brand sells in approximately 110 countries. The variety of the best selling tea is Lipton Yellow Label, which is black tea. - Nambarrie
Nambarrie is the brand name of a tea company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, now owned by Twinings. Nambarrie Tea Co. Ltd is the third largest tea brand in Scotland. - PG Tips
PG Tips is a tea brand created in 1930 in the UK and manufactured by Unilever. - Punjana
Punjana. For over 100 years, the third generation of the Thompson family remains faithful to its tradition of offering the best tea in Belfast, Ireland. - Rare Tea Company
Rare Tea Company Ltd is a distribution company and retail tea. Founded by Henrietta Lovell in 2004, the company is headquartered in London. - Richmont
Richmont is in English tea since 2004. - Ridgways
Ridgways was founded in 1836 when Thomas Ridgway opened his first tea shop in King William Street, London. In 1886 Thomas Ridgway has produced a tea for the personal use of Queen Victoria and King George VI. - Ringtons
Ringtons is a manufacturing company of tea based in Newcastle upon Tyne in England. It was founded in 1907 and remains a family business. - Robert Wilson 's
Robert Wilson’s is a provider of Ceylon teas packed. Its offices are located in Somerset in the UK and Sri Lanka. - Scottish Blend
Scottish Blend is the second brand of tea the most popular of Scotland. Manufactured by Unilever UK Foods, which produces Lipton and PG Tips. - Taylors of Harrogate
Taylors of Harrogate, founded in 1886, is an independent family business dedicated to the pleasures of tea and coffee. - Tetley
Tetley's name dates from the early 19th century. Tetley launched the tea bag to the UK in 1953, almost 33 years after its introduction in the U.S. market. - Twinings
In 1706, Twinings opened his first tea shop in London. 300 years later, Twinings provides worldwide teas of all kinds. - Typhoo
Typhoo is a brand of tea in the United Kingdom, launched in 1903 in Birmingham. - Whittard of Chelsea
Whittard of Chelsea offer the finest teas and coffees from around the world. With over 120 years of experience. - Yorkshire Tea
Yorkshire Tea is a black tea blend produced by Taylors of Harrogate and Betty, UK. The company was founded in 1886.
