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Tea Arrives in Britain
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It took the British some time to establish a trade with China for tea. When the East India Company was set up by a group of businessmen in 1600, Britain's trade with the Orient region grew massively. The company was given the sole trading rights to the routes between England and the east, eventually it became so powerful that it had to be reigned in with legislation.

The role of the East Idia Company was fundamental in the development of the British Empire, and it's love affair with tea. It set up numerous trading posts throughout the region, employed a fleet of cutting edge clippers and placed Britain firmly at the forefront of the tea trade for many years.

Tea Gets Royal Approval

In 1662 Charles II married a Portuguese princess called Catherine of Braganza, who happened to love drinking tea. She was often seen drinking tea from fine Chinese tea cups and tea pots, soon these became wildly popular. Now that Royalty was drinking tea, everyone else wanted to get their hands on it. Tea had become fashionable! This boosted te appeal of tea among the aristocracy, who viewed at as an indicator of status and wealth.

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