There is no record of tea dealings with Chinese merchants appears until 1644. Sailors bringing back packets of tea from the Far East as gifts, led to its introduction into London's coffee houses.
Tea was first officially imported into Britain by the East India Company in 1664 – comparatively late in contrast to Holland, Germany, and Spain.
The merchant Thomas Garaway, an English proprietor, had the idea of offering tea to the public. He was among the first to trade tea in Britain. He offered it in dry and liquid form at his coffee house in Exchange Alley in the City of London, holding his first public sale in 1657.
The popularity of tea grew rapidly: from the first official tea import of 1664 of two pounds one ounce, consumption swelled to one million pounds annual import within 60 years.
Tea-drinking became fashionable in London around 1690. Manner and custom for tea has been altered in the way of the British since tea was introduced to Britain. There are various manners in tea. Manners dictated everything from how much tea could be politely consumed; the amount varied over the years as tea became less expensive, but a general rule was that a lady should drink no more than any of her companions.
The practice of pouring milk into tea did not exist in Chinese culture. Even when the Chinese took pleasure in tea drinking as a beverage, the British considered it to be medicine in the early period of tea history in Britain. During the 18th century tea replaced beer and ale as the national drink of the British.
In 1837, the first English tea garden was established at Chabua in Upper Assam; in 1840, the Assam Tea Company began the commercial production of tea in the region.
In 1838 the first twelve chests of tea from Assam were received in England. On examination tea was found equally good with that of China.
During the 18th century, tea was usually prepared by the lady of the house. Women also drank tea after dinner, while men continued to drink alcohol. Tea was served in doors, or in tea gardens, and men also drank it in coffee-houses.
History of tea in England
