In the early part of the eighteenth century the huge cost of importing tea from the East meant that only the rich in Britain could afford it. For the aristocracy, however tea in the 1700s became part of the great English breakfast, replacing the previous staple drink of beer, though champagne and wine continued to be drunk in vast quantities at Country house morning banquets.
Often the used tea leaves would be dried, rolled, and illegally re-sold again by the servants of the rich.
The 1751 Gin Act, which succeeded in reducing the excesses of spirit drinking, coupled with a decrease in the import duty of tea resulted in many turning to tea-drinking as an alternative to alcohol.
By the end of the eighteenth century as the price of tea became increasingly affordable many were consuming the hot drink in their own home drinking it in large quantities with every meal.
The poorer classes tended to sweeten their bitter-tasting cheaper version of tea with large quantities of sugar, which was now readily available from the British West Indies. Sugar was commonly sold in solid cones and required a tool similar to a pincer to break off pieces.
Often the used tea leaves would be dried, rolled, and illegally re-sold again by the servants of the rich.
The 1751 Gin Act, which succeeded in reducing the excesses of spirit drinking, coupled with a decrease in the import duty of tea resulted in many turning to tea-drinking as an alternative to alcohol.
By the end of the eighteenth century as the price of tea became increasingly affordable many were consuming the hot drink in their own home drinking it in large quantities with every meal.
 |
| Jan Josef Horemans the Younger, 'Tea Time' (18th century) |
The poorer classes tended to sweeten their bitter-tasting cheaper version of tea with large quantities of sugar, which was now readily available from the British West Indies. Sugar was commonly sold in solid cones and required a tool similar to a pincer to break off pieces.
No comments:
Post a Comment