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British Tea
British tea, is a relative latecomer to the British Isle. Although the
custom of drinking tea dates a long way back, it was not until the mid 17th
century that tea first appeared in England. The use of tea spread slowly
from its Asian homeland, reaching Europe by way of Venice around 1560,
although Portuguese trading ships may have made contact with the Chinese as
early as 1515.
It was the Portuguese and Dutch traders who first imported tea to Europe,
with regular shipments. England was a latecomer to the tea trade, as the
East India Company did not capitalize on tea's popularity until the mid-18th
century.
Coffee Houses
It was the London coffee houses that were responsible for introducing tea
to England. One of the first coffee house merchants to offer tea was Thomas
Garway, who owned an establishment in Exchange Alley. He sold both liquid
and dry tea to the public as early as 1657. Three years later he issued a
broadsheet advertising tea at '10 per pound.
Tea gained popularity quickly in the coffee houses, and by 1700 over 600
coffee houses sold it. This distressed the tavern owners, as tea cut their
sales of beer and gin, and it was bad news for the government, who depended
upon a steady stream of revenue from taxes on liquor sales.
Taxation on Tea
Charles II did his bit to counter the growth of tea, with several acts
forbidding its sale in private houses. This measure was designed to counter
sedition, but it was so unpopular that it was impossible to enforce. A 1676
act taxed tea and required coffee house operators to apply for a license.
This was just the start of government attempts to control, tea in Britain.
By the mid 18th century the duty on tea had reached 120%. This heavy
taxation had the effect of creating a whole new industry of tea smuggling.
Smuggling Tea
Ships from Holland and Scandinavia brought tea to the British coast, then
stood offshore while smugglers met them and unloaded the precious cargo in
small vessels. The smugglers, often local fishermen, snuck the tea inland
through underground passages and hidden paths to special hiding places.
Finally, in 1784 William Pitt the Younger introduced the Commutation Act,
which dropped the tax on tea from 120% to 12.5%, effectively ending
smuggling.
When the East India Company was given a monopoly on the tea trade in 1832,
they realized the need to cut the time of this journey. New streamlined,
tall mast ships were made. These "clippers" sped along at nearly 18 knots
almost as fast as a modern ocean liner.
The most famous of the clipper ships was the Cutty Sark, built in 1868. It
only made the tea run eight times, but for its era it was a remarkable ship.
The Cutty Sark is now on exhibition at Greenwich.
Afternoon tea is said to have originated with one person, Anna, 7th
Duchess of Bedford. In the early 1800's she launched the idea of having tea
in the late afternoon to bridge the gap between luncheon and dinner. This
fashionable custom soon evolved into high tea among the working classes.
Tea Shops
These can be traced to one person. In 1864 the woman manager of the
Aerated Bread Company began the custom of serving food and drink to her
customers. Her best customers were favoured with tea. Soon everyone was
asking for the same treatment. The concept of tea shops spread throughout
Britain.
How to make a cup of tea
- The Tea you use makes a big difference, use tea made by Typhoo,
Brook bond or PG Tips.
- Although loose tea is not so popular now, tea bags are just as good
- Put some water on to boil
- Place the tea bags in a tea pot, one per person and one for the pot
- When the water is boiling fill the tea pot
- Leave to stand for 10 min
- Pour the tea into a tea cup
- Add sugar and milk
Traditionally, the tea pot was first warmed with hot water, with loose
tea you would need to use a tea strainer while poring. Adding sugar and milk
is down to peoples personal preference. Although I have listed a few
companies that make good tea bags, the China tea, Earls Grey and other
traditional teas are good.
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