Tea is a core part of British culture and is well known as England’s national drink. But did you know it has a long and eventful history? Here are some of our favourite facts about this popular hot drink. 

1. Tea came to England in the 17th century

Although tea had been in Asia and the Middle East for millennia, it only arrived in England in the mid 17th century. Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese wife of Charles II, is credited with making it a fashionable drink. 

2. Tea was for the elite

Nowadays tea is a product we can all enjoy, but when it first arrived in England, it was so expensive that only the upper classes could afford it. People would pay up to 60 shillings (£300) for a pound (450g) of tea, which was ten times the price of good coffee. 

3. Tea was smuggled extensively

By the 18th century, many people wanted to drink tea, but couldn’t afford the high prices. This led to a huge tea smuggling network, which at its peak brought more tea to Britain than legal imports did. 

4. The Cutty Sark was built for the tea trade

Now dry-docked at Greenwich as a visitor attraction, The Cutty Sark was a clipper built for the tea trade. It was one of the fastest ships of its day and able to carry 10,000 tea chests at once. Between 1870 and 1877, it carried almost 10 million pounds (over 4.5 million kg) of tea.

5. The tea break is 200 years old

Taking a tea break has been around for some 200 years. When workers would start their day at 5-6am, they were allowed a break for tea and food in the morning. Some employers also offered an afternoon break. 

6. Tea was considered essential during World War I

Over the 18th and 19th centuries, Britain’s love of tea only grew, and by 1901 tea had become a way of life. During the First World War, the government considered it so essential to morale that it took over the importation of tea so that people could continue to buy it affordably. 

7. The London Tea Auction ran for 300 years

The London Tea Auction was first held in 1679 and ran until June 1998 - a total of 319 years. It put London at the centre of the tea trade and by the 1950s, a third of the world’s tea was bought at the auction. 

8. The first tea bags arrived in 1953

Tea has traditionally been brewed in a pot, but after the invention of tea bags in the US, these became popular in the UK. Tetley was the first brand to use them in 1953. 

9. Tea is officially our favourite drink

Tea is the most popular drink here in the UK, with the UK Tea & Infusions Association reporting that we drink over 100 million cups every day. 

10. Have tea with the tiger

Just as tea is popular in Britain, so is Judith Kerr’s picture book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea. It’s so well-loved that it has been adapted into one of the nation’s favourite family theatre shows, regularly playing in London and across the UK. Find out more about the family shows near you or buy your family theatre tickets and have tea with the mysterious tiger today.