I enjoy the taking of tea. I remember my first time having a cup. It was when I was six years old. I woke up one morning with a stuffed nose, coughing and a high fever. My grandmother was visiting us that month and she was good with at old fashion sick remedies. She gave me a cup of Tetley tea with lemon and Jamaican Run. I stayed in bed all morning feeling cozy and loved. So, that was my first introduction to Tetly Tea.
I found this old can at a flee market last week and it brought back that wonderful memory.
The Early Years of Tetley Tea
In 1822, brothers Joseph and Edward Tetley began their business by peddling salt from the back of a pack horse in Yorkshire. Later they added tea to their supplies. Eventually the brothers began "Joseph Tetley & Co." in 1837.
Seeking to expand their business, the brothers relocated to London in 1856. London, at the time, was the center of the world's tea trade. The brothers began to focus on tea supplies.
The brothers parted company and Joseph Tetley renamed the company, "Joseph Tetley and Co., Wholesale Tea Dealers."
In 1871, Joseph Tetley took his son, Joseph Tetley Junior into the business.
Tetley Tea expanded into the blending and packing of tea. By 1888, Tetley Tea expanded into the United States, and began to distribute tea in the country.
Joseph Tetley Junior took over the business in 1889, after the death of his father. Tetley Tea continued to expand in America, and by 1913 Tetley Tea had established plants in New York City.
The Tetley Tea Bag has now become one of Tetley's largest sources of income, and Tetley Tea has continued to design new tea bags. Aside from the drawstring tea bag, where the tea bag has two strings for easy wringing, Tetley has also recently designed the round tea bag for easier and more consistent brewing.
I have put some round tea bags in the old tin tea can and I am going to give it away in my November Tea Swap. I hope they will enjoy an Old Fashion History of Tetley Tea.
