Kusmi Tea is a brand of

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

, headquartered in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Originally founded by Pavel Kousmichoff in St. Petersburg,

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

in 1867, the brand moved to Paris, at the onset of the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

, in 1917. The brand is currently owned by Groupe Orientis.

History

The founder of Kusmi Tea, Pavel Kousmichoff (from whom the brand gains its name) left home at the age of 14 to work for a tea merchant in St. Petersburg, Russia. Kousmichoff worked with the tea merchant until his marriage in 1867, when Kousmichoff was given a small tea house by the tea merchant. Under Kousmichoff, the business prospered and grew in popularity, by 1880 becoming a favourite of the Russian nobility. By 1901, the firm had expanded the business to a chain of about 10 tea houses. In 1907, Kousmichoff's son Vyatcheslav opened a shop at 11 Queen Victoria Street, London. In 1908, on the death of his father, Vyatcheslav took over the reins of the family business. The business continued to prosper under Vyatcheslav, and by 1917, at the onset of the

the business had grown to encompass a chain of 51 tea houses across most major cities in Russia. With the outbreak of the revolution, the Kousmichoff family fled to France, opening an outlet at 75 Avenue Niel, Paris, that exists to this day. At this point, the Kousmichoff's re-branded the tea to the shorter "Kusmi Tea". In 2003, the business was bought by Groupe Orientis. The firm currently operates 80 stores, including 60 in France itself, while the tea is distributed in 35 countries.

References

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External links

Official website
1867 establishments in the Russian Empire Tea brands Food and drink companies based in Paris Food and drink companies established in 1867 Tea companies of France