Twinings () is a British marketer 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 north ...

and other beverages, including coffee, hot chocolate and malt drinks, based in

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia * Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Ando ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

. The

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

is owned by

Associated British Foods Associated British Foods plc (ABF) is a British multinational food processing and retailing company headquartered in London, England. Its ingredients division is the world's second-largest producer of both sugar and baker's yeast and a major pr ...

. It holds the world's oldest continually used company logo, and is London's longest-standing

ratepayer Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government. Some other countries have taxes with a more or less comparable role ...

, having occupied the same premises on the Strand since 1706. Twinings tea varieties include

black tea Black tea, also translated to red tea in various East Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas. All five types are made from ...

green tea Green tea is a type of tea that is made from '' Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since the ...

and

herbal tea Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

s, along with fruit-based cold infusions.

History

Twinings was founded by Thomas Twining, of

Painswick Painswick is a town and civil parish in the Stroud District in Gloucestershire, England. Originally the town grew from the wool trade, but it is now best known for its parish church's yew trees and the local Rococo Garden. The village is mainly ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

, England, who opened Britain's first known

tea room A teahouse (mainly Asia) or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment whic ...

, at No. 216

Strand, London Strand (or the Strand) is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, Central London. It runs just over from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar, where the road becomes Fleet Street in the City of London, and is part of the A4 ...

, in 1706; it still operates today. The firm's logo, created in 1787, is the world's oldest in continuous use. Holder of a royal warrant, Twinings was acquired by

in 1964. The company is associated with

Earl Grey tea Earl Grey tea is a tea blend which has been flavoured with oil of bergamot. The rind's fragrant oil is added to black tea to give Earl Grey its unique taste. Traditionally, Earl Grey was made from black teas such as Chinese keemun, and there ...

, a tea infused with bergamot, though it is unclear when this association began, and how important the company's involvement with the tea has been. Competitor

Jacksons of Piccadilly Jacksons of Piccadilly was a London tea house, tea wholesaler and retailer, grocer, wine merchant, and deluxe department store, founded by Robert Jackson in Piccadilly in 1700. It is now a brand owned by R. Twinings and Company Limited, a form ...

– acquired by Twinings during the 1990s –also had associations with the bergamot blend. In April 2008, Twinings announced their decision to close its

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

Nambarrie Nambarrie is the brand name of a tea company, founded in Belfast in 1860, and later based in Andover, Hampshire. Now owned by Twinings, Nambarrie Tea Co. Ltd. operates delivery depots in Mallusk, County Antrim and Glasgow Glasgow ( ; ...

plant, a tea company in trade for over 140 years. Citing an "efficiency drive", Twinings moved most of its production to China and Poland in late 2011, while retaining its

Andover, Hampshire Andover ( ) is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton, a major tributary of the Test, and is situated alongside the major A303 trunk road at the eastern end of Salisbury Plain, west of the town of Basingsto ...

factory with a reduced workforce.

Ethics

Twinings' ethical tea programme, Sourced with Care, aims to improve the quality of life in the communities from which it buys tea. The company is a founding member of the

Ethical Tea Partnership The Ethical Tea Partnership is a Private Limited Company that has been working with tea producers and tea companies to improve the sustainability of the tea industry since 1997.Jane Pettigrew and Bruce Richardson ‘Tea Classified: A Tea Lover’s ...

, a not-for-profit membership organisation of tea-packing companies which undertake monitoring and improving conditions on tea estates in all major tea-growing regions. Twinings has an Ethical Code of Conduct and works with all its packaging and raw material suppliers to ensure decent working conditions in the supply chain. In August 2018, Twinings published a list of all its tea suppliers in India on its Sourced with Care website. This came after Traidcraft Exchange called on all the major UK tea brands to show the public which tea plantations they buy from and crack down on

modern slavery Contemporary slavery, also sometimes known as modern slavery or neo-slavery, refers to institutional slavery that continues to occur in present-day society. Estimates of the number of enslaved people today range from around 38 million to 46 mil ...

in the supply chain. Traidcraft Exchange welcomed the move, their policy adviser, Fiona Gooch, saying that it would put "pressure on the other big tea brands ... to follow suit".

Notable members of the Twining family

* Thomas Twining (1675–1741), tea merchant, Twinings founder *

Mary Twining Mary Twining (1726-1804), née Little, led Twinings, the tea company, from 1763 to 1782, after the death of her husband, Daniel Twining. Her sons, Richard Twining (tea merchant, born 1749), Richard Twining and John Twining, eventually took over the ...

(1726-1804), tea merchant, mother of Richard Twining * Thomas Twining (1735–1804), classical scholar * Richard Twining (1749–1824), tea merchant *

William Twining William Lawrence Twining (born 22 September 1934) is the Emeritus Quain Professor of Jurisprudence at University College London, having held the post until 1996. He is a leading member of the Law in Context movement, and has contributed especiall ...

(1790-1835), military physician *

Elizabeth Twining Elizabeth Twining (1805–1889) was an English painter, author, and botanical illustrator. She is best known for her detailed botanical illustrations, especially the two-volume ''Illustrations of the Natural Order of Plants'', which was publish ...

(1805–1889),

botanical illustrator Botanical illustration is the art of depicting the form, color, and details of plant species, frequently in watercolor paintings. They must be scientifically accurate but often also have an artistic component and may be printed with a botanical ...

Louisa Twining Louisa may refer to: Places ;Australia * Louisa Island (Tasmania) ;Canada * Louisa or Lac-Louisa, a community in Wentworth, Quebec ;Malaysia * Louisa Reef, Sabah ;United States * Louisa, Kentucky * Louisa, Missouri * Louisa, Virginia * Louisa ...

(1820–1912), social reformer *

Edward Twining Edward Francis Twining, Baron Twining (29 June 1899 – 21 June 1967), known as Sir Edward Twining from 1949 to 1958, was a British diplomat, formerly Governor of North Borneo and Governor of Tanganyika. He was a member of the Twining tea ...

(1899–1967), diplomat

References

External links

Official British websiteOfficial Canadian websiteOfficial American websiteOfficial Australian websiteInterview with Stephen Twining (September 2006) The Citizen, South Africa
{{British Royal Warrant holders 1706 establishments in England Andover, Hampshire Tea brands in the United Kingdom Companies based in Hampshire British Royal Warrant holders Associated British Foods brands Companies established in 1706 Twining family Strand, London

History

Ethics

Notable members of the Twining family

See also

References

External links