The Importance Of Tea In British Culture

By 1657, tea was being sold more prevalently in England, in London’s existing coffee houses; however, it was known variously as Tcha, China Drink, Tay, or Tee, and became mainly sold as a treatment to cure all ailments; from fatigue and lack of vigor to general poor wellbeing and sicknesses of all sorts, and it was highly-priced. At its peak in the mid-1600s, tea sold for as much as £22 per kilogram (about £2,000 in today’s money), or £10 per pound. One may safely assume that the typical Brit at the time did not spend up to nearly £4,000 annually on their vice. Tea was reserved for the upper class, who could afford to keep it locked away in tea caddies because common people and servants back then made a total £50 a year at most.

Even so, by 1659, it could be found on virtually every London street corner. After Queen Catherine of Braganza, Charles II’s wife introduced tea drinking to the royal court in 1662, it quickly grew into more than simply a trend. At its peak around the middle of the 18th century, Canton sent about 7 million tons of tea to Europe annually, with British ships carrying nearly half of that total.

The increasing demand for this new type of luxury item did not go unnoticed by the Crown. Taxes on imported tea were as high as 119% in the 18th century. Besides encouraging widespread smuggling, the high prices ultimately resulted in the distribution of tea of questionable quality and even potentially harmful adulterants. Herbs like licorice, sloe, and willow were employed to “make up for” the significantly more costly tea leaves, and used tea leaves were mostly dried and blended in with new leaves. In 1784, the tea tariff was reduced to 12.5%, thereby ending the black market, but spoilage remained a major concern until 1875 when it was outlawed.

Wonders of Tea

Surely, it can’t be attributed solely to the flavor of tea that it has attained such widespread consumption. The British approach to tea is almost ritualistic. British place a high emphasis on the social benefits of tea; many of their most meaningful interactions take place while sharing a cup of the beverage, and they are always touched when others recall their preferred tea brewing method. Even people’s tea choices are used to make snap judgments about them. The British love their tea, and they use it for everything from breaking the ice to learning the office rumor mill to lifting a colleague’s spirits. A cup of tea put simply, can be enjoyed at nearly any time.