Mariage Frères facts for kids
 |
|
| Product type | Tea |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Introduced | 1854 |
Mariage Frères (which means Mariage Brothers in French) is a famous French company that sells special tea. It is based in Paris, France. Two brothers, Henri and Edouard Mariage, started the company on June 1, 1854.
Contents
The Story of Mariage Frères Tea
How Tea Came to France
The tea business in France really started to grow in the mid-1600s. At that time, King Louis XIV wanted to find exciting new goods from far-off lands. He encouraged groups like the French East India Company to explore.
Around 1660, two men named Nicolas and Pierre Mariage began traveling for the king. Pierre went to Madagascar for the French East India Company. Nicolas traveled to Persia and India. He even helped sign a trade deal with the Shah of Persia for King Louis XIV.
A Family's Tea Journey
The Mariage family kept working with tea for many generations. By 1843, they had a lot of experience. Members of the family opened their first wholesale shop in Paris. This means they sold tea in large amounts to other businesses.
On June 1, 1854, Henri and Edouard Mariage started the company we know today. For over 130 years, four generations of the Mariage family ran the business. They only sold tea wholesale from their warehouse in Paris. They brought in high-quality teas from places like Asia. Then, they sold these teas to fancy hotels and tea shops in France.
From Wholesale to Retail Shops
In 1983, the company changed from just selling wholesale to opening its own stores. With new leaders, Kitti Cha Sangmanee and Richard Bueno, Mariage Frères began opening tea houses in central Paris.
Their first tea shop and salon opened on rue du Bourg-Tibourg. This was the same building where Henri Mariage had his offices over 150 years ago! The old furniture, cash registers, and tea tools from the 1800s came from their historic former office. This made the new shop feel very special and old-fashioned.
Mariage Frères Today
Where You Can Find Their Tea
Today, Mariage Frères has over 30 stores in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. There are five Mariage Frères tea rooms just in Paris.
Their tea is also sold by other companies in more than 60 countries. You can find their tea in fancy hotels like the Meurice in Paris and Claridge's in London. It's even served to people traveling first-class on Japan Airlines!
Online and Around the World
In the early 2000s, Mariage Frères launched an online shop. This shop sells tea all over the world. You can use it in French, English, or Japanese.
The company has one main place in Paris where they prepare tea for Europe and the rest of the world. They also have another place in Japan just for distributing tea there.
