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Oct 23, 1560
Jasper de Cruz introduces tea to Europe
Portuguese Jesuit Father Jasper de Cruz introduces tea to parts of Europe. -
China tea is introduced in England
China tea is introduced in coffeehouses within the capitol city of London. -
Tea begins to thrive
Immediately, China tea becomes very popular within Great Britain, especially London and other parts of England. Tea, though, was mainly consumed by the rich. -
Tea is presented to King Charles II
Two pounds and two ounces of tea are formally presented to the King by the British East India Company. The tea then is imported to Portugal from Asian nations such as China and Japan. -
Catherine of Braganza tastes tea
In 1662, Catherine (wife of Charles), queen of Portugal, tastes tea for the very first time. Liking this new and fairly exotic drink, she then makes it popular throughout the Iberian nation, especially within the courts. -
Tea is discovered to be a type of 'remedy'
Tea is discovered by a collection of its drinkers to be able to "revive the spirits and cure mild colds". -
The British East India Company get their imports from the Netherlands
The British East India Company got their tea from a Dutch factory from Batavia. Batavia received their imports straight from China. -
British tea imports increase
As tea becomes more and more popular across Western Europe, tea imports increase. -
British tea imports quadruple
By 1750, tea has continued to thrive in Britain as a popular beverage, even going as far as to quadruple imports. -
Tea is overwhelmingly popular in England
By 1766, tea was being imported to Britain more than to the Dutch, Swedish, and French. These became nicknamed "tea fleets". -
Expansion of railroads begin
Railroads connected the east to the west of Europe, making importing tea faster and easier. -
Tea supplies to the British Empire increase
As railroads continue to be built and expand, tea supplies imported to the British Empire quickly increase in quantity. -
Tea prices decrease
Prices of tea decrease slightly and remain low for several more decades. -
London becames the centre of international trading of tea
In the early 1900's, London becomes the centre of the first international trading of tea and tea products, respectively. Demands for tea cups, pots, and dishes increased along with the popularity of tea. It has now replaced gin and ale as the majority in Britain. -
Present tea comsumption in the UK
Tea continues to be the top drink of the UK. Over 165 million cups are consumed daily in the UK; twice the amount of coffee.
