Tea Teasers

Some interesting facts about England's favorite beverage.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…..

• It was not until  1652 that the first samples of tea reached the thirsty mouths of England. Great Britain was the last of the three great sea-faring nations to break into the Chinese and East Indian trade routes.  Tea drinking was already popular in France and Holland before it replaced ale as the national drink of England.
  

• Between the years 1699 and 1708, tea importation into England rose from 40,000 pounds to an annual average of 240,000 pounds.
  

• Before the  introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two main meals: a breakfast of bread, ale and beef and a large hearty dinner at the end of the day.  Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, who often got hungry and irritable in late afternoon, began inviting friends to join her for an informal five o'clock meal. The meal consisted of small cakes, sandwiches, sweets, and of course, tea. Thus began the tradition of the English afternoon tea.
  

• Many coffee houses of the 18th century actually served only tea! They were named coffee houses because coffee had arrived in Great Britain before tea. These coffee houses were often dubbed "Penny Universities" because a patron could receive a pot of tea and a newspaper for only a penny.
  

• Tea Gardens were the first social environment that allowed for mixed-company of both the sexes and the classes. It was in these open-air gardens, that men and women, upper and lower class, were allowed to mingle without censure.
  

• The concept of tipping first was developed in the English tea gardens. To Insure Proper Service (TIPS), patrons would drop coins in a small wooden box. 13
  

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