British Tea's Growing Popularity in China

choi

Leonora Beck, British Tea Is Booming in China, the Drink's Birthplace. Associated Press, Sept 5, 2016.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/w ... 91781754_story.html
("British tea makers mainly import leaves from Africa and India")

Note:
(a) A woman in Beijing, Ji Mengyu "says she's inspired by TV shows like Downton Abbey, but also Sherlock Holmes and Game of Thrones."

There is no doubt about the British root of the first two. What about Game of Thrones?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones
(an American TV series, based on books written by an American; A principal inspiration for the novels is the English Wars of the Roses)

(b) "storied British companies like Twinings, Taylors of Harrogate and Hudson & Middleton"
(i) Twinings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinings
(Thomas Twining "opened Britain's first known tea room at No 216 Strand, London, in 1706; it still operates today")

* tearoom (UK and US)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tearoom_(UK_and_US)
(is a small restaurant)
(ii)
(A) Hudson & Middleton does not produce tea, but makes bone china.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_china
(Bone china is the strongest of the porcelain or china ceramics; section 1 History)
(B) Jeong Su-il, The Silk Road Encyclopedia. Seoul Selection USA Inc, 2016 (page number not displayed)
https://books.google.com/books?i ... vention&f=false
(There was a time when Europeans did experiments to make china, without having to importing it from China: "The British supposedly developed bone china as a substitute for pire kaolin, as Britain could not produce kaolinite")

(c) "Li Qunlou, general manager at AnnVita English Tea House in Sanlitun in Beijing"

安薇塔英国茶屋
www.annvita.com/en/
(co-founder Ann Chiang 安女士 (no Chinese name); the Chinese version of the website states Ann Chiang "2002年进入大陆发展" )

(d) "Harrogate, a small town in northern England that is the home to Taylors of Harrogate. The fourth generation family-owned company has been selling tea to China for more than 10 years. * * * Chinese customers mainly buy Taylor of Harrogate's Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea."
(i) Harrogate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrogate
(a town; The origin of the name is uncertain)
(ii)
(A) Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettys_and_Taylors_of_Harrogate
(Headquarters        Harrogate; reference 1: "The name was originally written ' Betty's ' (with an apostrophe, presumably as a possessive), as can be seen from old adverts in the Harrogate store, but at some point the apostrophe was dropped, and it is now uniformly written without an apostrophe – see Possessives in business names and S-form")
(B) Our Heritage. Betys & Taylors Group, undated
https://www.bettysandtaylors.co.uk/about-us/our-heritage/
("The story recalls that a Bettys waitress overheard two customers discussing the fact that the Taylors business was looking for new owners, and so in 1962 Victor [Belmont, then Bettys owner] and his family purchased Taylors Tea and Coffee")
(iii) Earl Grey tea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Grey_tea
(is assumed to be named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister [1830-1834])
(iv) English Breakfast tea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_breakfast_tea
(traditionally associated with a hearty English breakfast; Common brands of English breakfast tea include Twinings, Dilmah, Taylors of Harrogate, Ahmad Tea, Qualitea and Darvilles of Windsor)

(e) "In Britain, tea was not introduced until the 17th century, though it has since become a staple and adapted to local tastes."

History of tea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tea
(section 4.8 United Kingdom)