The History of Tea in England

Tea is possibly the most admired of English drinks and has, since its introduction to the country, become nearly a defining mark of United Kingdom. Because it is so decidedly linked to Britain, only some know that tea in fact goes back to China from about 3000 BC.

It didn't require long for tea to spread from China to Europe, beginning in Venice and Portugal in the 16th century. The Dutch and Portuguese introduced it to other European nations in 1610 with England actually starting the use of tea relatively late.

Ironically, tea was initially sold in Britain in the coffee shops in London. Sir Garway, the founder of an Exchange Alley coffee shop, was the first merchant to introduce tea in his cafe. It was offered in both dry and liquid forms starting from 1657 onwards with the drink being quite expensive to purchase. It was believed to assist in keeping the body healthy and young.

Tea quickly became a popular drink within the coffee houses. By the year 1700, it could be bought in more than 500 coffee shops throughout Britain. Funnily enough, tea actually helped to decrease the sales of gin and ale. Therefore, the introduction of tea in Britain annoyed the owners of taverns, who saw their profits dwindle. The politicians were also displeased with the increased sales of tea as it depended highly on the taxes earned from sales of liquor.

In order to combat the rising tea sales, Charles II instituted acts which prevented the sale of tea in coffee shops. These restrictions were hard to sustain and he, therefore, instituted an act in 1676 which taxed tea and required the coffee houses to have a license prior to being allowed to sell the drink. This was done so as to find a way for the government to profit from the exponentially rising sales of tea. Taxation on tea kept rising in the middle of 18th century. These laws prompted the institution of tea smuggling.