Enjoy a brew on International Tea day!
(Blog by Marina, one of our PR Account Managers)
On May 21, people around the world will be celebrating International Tea Day (May 21st). Being an avid tea drinker myself, I jumped at the chance to write a blog about one of my favourite subjects!
International Tea Day raises awareness of the long history and the deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world… including its importance in fighting hunger and poverty.
I am always surprised by the number of young people who join our business and don’t drink tea or coffee, or in fact, any other hot drink! Making the tea used to be a rite of passage for any young PR Executive when I started life in agencies over two decades ago.
However, one of our most popular and best-read blogs of all time was written by one of our work experience students on the subject of ‘how to make a cup of tea!’ – which is ironic as I don’t think she ever made us one!
History of tea
We often think of tea as being a quintessentially English drink, as we’ve been drinking it for over 350 years, however its history goes back much further. The story of tea goes back to 2737 BC when a Chinese Emperor was said to be sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled his drinking water and leaves from the above tree blew into the water. The Emperor decided to try the infusion that had been accidentally created and the rest is history! Hundreds of years later, tea was introduced to Japan by Japanese Buddhist monks who had travelled to China to study. Japanese tea ceremonies then became an important part of Japanese culture.
Tea didn’t arrive into Europe until the second half of the 16th Century. The Portuguese who were living in the Far East as traders and missionaries are said to have brought tea samples back to their home country. The Dutch started trading in tea on the island of Java and from here the first consignment of tea was shipped from China to Holland. From there, it spread to many countries in western Europe and because of its high price, remained a drink only for the wealthy.
Tea became heavily taxed by the British in the 17th and 18th Centuries and it wasn’t until 1784 that tax was slashed from 119 per cent to 12.5 per cent and the working classes could afford it.
I was interested to discover that one of my ancestors, Henry Burkinyoung, who lived in Calcutta in the 1850s, had played a crucial role in bringing tea from India to the UK. Having spent years experimenting with planting tea on his estate in India, he became a director of the Assam Tea Company and turned around its fortunes.
Over the years, arguments have flared up about whether tea is good or bad for the health, with wealthy philanthropists in the 19th Century worried that excessive tea drinking among the working classes would lead to weakness and melancholy! Latest research indicates that tea drinking does have numerous health benefits, so it reassuring to know that for years to come, we can all enjoy a nice cup of tea!
The government took control of tea supply during the Second World War and it was rationed from 1940 until 1952. Another tea milestone was the invention of the tea bag, which came over from America in the mid 20th Century - with tea bag sales really taking off in Britain in the 1970s.
So back to the present day and what role does tea play in a modern PR agency – if any - and why are bothering to mark International Tea Day at all?
I personally find that there is no better way to start the day, or to start a meeting or social occasion with a cup of tea. Research has proven that having a warm drink in hand has a more positive impact on business meetings, relationships and success than a cold drink! So get the kettle on when your customers visit!
Last words
Dragonfly PR is a business-to-business b2b PR agency that specialises in construction and manufacturing. We are experts in helping SME businesses to maximise the impact of their PR and digital marketing activities.
Why not drop us a line and come and have a chat with us and we’ll even make you a cup of tea!
Contact hello@dragonflypr.co.uk or call 0114 349 5341.