WELCOME TO THE TEA-VOLUTION So why ‘The Tea Leaf Company’? Well, the history of tea is a colourful one. It's a tale of royals and rogues, heroes and villains – daredevils who risked life and limb in their quest to bring the people a better brew. Our name is a nod to their invention, resilience and downright craftiness. Like John Fortune, who played a fair bit of hide and seek in his time. Disguised as a local, he entered China seeking precious tea seeds and closely-guarded cultivation methods. Hiding them in many ingenious ways he smuggled them out of the country and introduced tea growing to India. So here’s to you John - you sneaky rascal! Most would agree there’s nothing more British than the humble cuppa - but thanks to England’s 19th century taxation laws, there was once a time when our national drink was off-limits to all but the filthy rich. Fuelled by a sense of injustice (and spying an opportunity to make a few quid), a bunch of rogues and ne’er-do-wells took it upon themselves to liberate the mighty tea leaf from the taxman’s grasp. By hook or by crook (but mostly by crook) they made it their mission to share its wondrous properties with the masses. And so, a national obsession was born. Just like the smugglers before us, we too believe it’s everybody’s right to enjoy a good cup of tea. And call us old-fashioned, but we think modern day tea-drinkers can learn a lot from the way those early tea-volutionaries did things. We’re having none of this teabag nonsense for a start – it’s loose leaf all the way. We’re also firm believers in the notion that a quality cuppa starts with respect for tradition, people and the place in which it’s grown. And so, while we might not be risking life and limb, we like to think a little of the rebellious nature of those early tea pioneers lives on through us. So join us for a brew and, in the spirit of those crafty Rascals that made all this possible, steal a moment.