Tea was the new wonder commodity for the Company. It began to trade in Chinese tea in the early 1650s but it was not an instant success. At the time people in Britain drank ale for breakfast (water was largely unfit to drink) so there was a ‘market gap’ for a safe, thirst quenching drink. Tea was not unknown but it was a luxury item favoured by the aristocracy.

Brewers, sensing competition, persuaded the British Government to tax tea. Adulteration, smuggling and the Boston Tea Party were direct results. However, once the Company had access to Canton and the political issues were settled, demand took off. Green varieties were favoured initially but black teas soon took over in popularity.

In 1713 the Company brought in 214,000 lbs (97,078 kgs); by 1813 the total was almost 32 million lbs (14.5 million kgs).