Visionary entrepreneurs
People have been drying leaves and pounding roots for their sacred brews ever since they discovered hot water, back in the Stone Age. This makes it all the more remarkable how a few entrepreneurs turned once exotic teas into our favorite everyday drinks.
1869
Arthur Brooke establishes the Brooke Bond Tea company in Manchester, England.
1871
Thomas Lipton, a man of humble beginnings, opens his first shop in Glasgow, Scotland.
Thomas Lipton buys his first tea estates.
In the Haputale district of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and begins shipping Lipton tea in the US.
1891
First Lipton advertising campaign in the US.
Thomas Lipton is knighted by Queen Victoria. In 1902, he is then made a baronet.
1910
Lipton is the first to use printed bags with brewing instructions.
1930
A new tea launches to aid digestion : Pre-Gest-Tea, now known as PG Tips.
one that only uses the top two leaves and bud of each plant.
Lipton Iced tea mix is introduced into the US.
Today, the bottled iced tea business is managed through a joint venture between Pepsico and Unilever.
1996
T2 opens its first store in Melbourne, Australia.
1996
TAZO is also founded
with the aim to “break the status quo” both in terms of flavors and of society.
1996
PG Tips creates the famous pyramid tea bag.
It improves the water's flow and gives the leaves more room to infuse in, releasing more flavor and healthy compounds in the cup. The model has since been copied by many brands.
2001
Herbalist Sebastian Pole and ethical entrepreneur Tim Westwell create Pukka
to “nurture healthier, happier lives through powerful organic plants”.
Lipton launches its first Rainforest Alliance certified tea
from its Kericho estate in Kenya. Today, 98% of our global tea blends are Rainforest Alliance-certified.
2017
Acquisition of Pukka, as well as Tazo (from Starbucks)
2018
PG Tips launches the UK's first fully home biodegradable teabag.
LIPTON Teas and Infusions is created as an independent company owned by CVC Capital Partners