Tea Trivia

Everything you wanted to know about tea but were afraid to ask. I've put together some of the least known inspiring tea trivia.
   
Where did the saying 'Tea for Two' come from?
   
In the late 1800's two gentleman, named Lyons and Gluckstein were contracted to sell tea to the visitors of the Newcastle Exhibition.

They only charged two-pence for a pot which was far cheaper than the usual three-pence for a cup. Thus, the saying 'Tea for Two' came into being - meaning tea for two-pence.
   
The History of the Teabag
       
The teabag was unintentionally invented by Thomas Sullivan, a New York City tea merchant in 1908.

When sending out his various tea leaf samples to prospective retailers he sewed them in tiny individual silk bags instead of using the usual tins.

When these retailers received his tea samples they poured their boiling water straight over the bags rather than cutting them open and emptying the tea leaves into a teapot.

The ease and convenience of these tiny tea packages was quickly recognised and Thomas Sullivan was inundated with orders for what we now know as the teabag.

Teas are blended after normal manufacturing processes. The best tea is unblended and will come from single tea estates.
       
They started out as....

Tetley started life as a tea-packing house. Originally, two Tetley brothers sold salt and tea on horseback throughout the villages of Yorkshire.

In 1907 Thomas Twining, a weaver, opened Tom's Coffee House and used a variety of different teas to attract the aristocrats to his coffee shop. In 1717 Tom's Coffee House is converted to the first English tea shop named The Golden Lyon. Thomas Twining boldly invites women to shop at his Tea Shop. Coffee Houses of the time were frequented by men only.   

Cadburys & Harrods of London were originally tea blenders   

Tea Cups originally had no handles

It wasn't until Afternoon Tea and High Tea became popular with the aristocracy that handles were actually added to tea cups.

The added handles prevented ladies from burning their fingers when 'taking tea'.

Tea Trivia part 2 >