Tea has been in use by the Chinese for thousands of years - an early reference to it dates back to 2737B.C.

A Chinese Emperor called Shen Nung sat under a tree as he boiled water for drinking. A leaf from the Camellia Sinensis plant fell into the boiling water and gave the Emperor his first cup of tea.

The first teas were sent to Britain from China about 300 years ago. Today, hardly any of the tea we drink comes from China - Africa, India and Sri Lanka being the main origins.

Tea was first introduced into Irish culture through imports from British colonies. As tea grew in popularity in 18th century Ireland it became fashionable to serve it at the many large scale social functions of that era.
Tea trading has been associated with famous sailing ships, the yacht-like merchant ships known as tea clippers, notably the Cutty Sark, which raced from China to Britain.

Tea did not become a popular place drink until modern times. As recently as 1901 fine Ceylon tea was fetching £25 per lb. in London. Tea was a novelty then kept under lock and key, to be drunk on special occasions. Tea became a popular drink when companies saw the commercial potential for blending, packaging and branding tea.