Jacksons of Piccadilly facts for kids
Jacksons of Piccadilly was a famous shop in London that started way back in 1700. It was founded by Robert Jackson. This store sold many things, like tea, groceries, and even wine. It was known as a fancy department store. Today, the Jacksons of Piccadilly brand is owned by R. Twinings and Company Limited, another well-known tea company.
A Long History of Tea
By 1815, Jacksons became very popular for selling special tea blends. This was quite unusual at the time, as most people mixed their own teas at home. Jacksons' business grew a lot. They even received several Royal Warrants for their tea. A Royal Warrant is like a special seal of approval from the royal family. They earned these warrants from different kings and queens throughout the 1800s and 1900s. By 1905, the Jacksons store had moved to a new location at 171-172 Piccadilly in London.
Special Tea Blends
Jacksons was very good at creating unique tea mixtures. One famous example was "The Lady Londonderry Mixture Tea." This special blend combined teas from different parts of the world. It included teas from the hills of Ceylon (which is now called Sri Lanka), the Darjeeling district in India, and the tea gardens of Formosa (which is now the island of Taiwan).
This particular blend was first made for a lady named Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, who was the Marchioness of Londonderry. She lived from 1878 to 1959. In 1932, she gave Jacksons permission to officially register the tea blend using her name.
Jacksons Today
Under the ownership of Twinings, the Jacksons of Piccadilly brand still offers several types of tea. They have six different varieties. Interestingly, three of these are actually herbal teas, which are also known as tisanes. Herbal teas are made from herbs, spices, or other plant materials, not from the tea plant itself.
The Earl Grey Tea Story
Jacksons of Piccadilly also claims to have created the original recipe for Earl Grey tea. However, this claim is sometimes debated by others. The story goes that Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, who was a British Prime Minister, gave the recipe to George Charlton in 1830. George Charlton was a partner at Robert Jackson & Co. This would mean Jacksons was involved in making one of the world's most famous tea blends!
Gallery
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The Lady Londonderry Mixture Tea blended by Jacksons
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The Lady Londonderry tea sources
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The Lady Londonderry's consent
