Mariage Frères facts for kids
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| Product type | Tea |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Introduced | 1854 |
Mariage Frères (pronounced Mar-ee-ahzh Frair) is a famous French tea company. It started in Paris, France. Two brothers, Henri and Edouard Mariage, created it on June 1, 1854. They are known for selling very special and high-quality teas.
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The Story of Mariage Frères
Tea became very popular in France in the mid-1600s. King Louis XIV wanted people to explore new lands. He hoped they would find exciting new products. Around 1660, members of the Mariage family, Nicolas and Pierre, began traveling for the king.
Pierre went to Madagascar for a trading company. Nicolas traveled to Persia and India. He even helped sign a trade deal for King Louis XIV. Many generations of the Mariage family continued in the tea business. By 1843, they opened their first tea shop in Paris. This shop sold tea in large amounts to other businesses.
Founding the Company
On June 1, 1854, Henri and Edouard Mariage officially started the Mariage Frères Tea Company. For over 130 years, the company was run by four generations of the Mariage family. They only sold tea in large quantities from their warehouse in Paris.
They brought in excellent quality tea leaves from places like Asia. Then, they sold these teas to fancy hotels and tea shops across France.
From Wholesale to Retail
In 1983, Mariage Frères changed how they did business. They stopped being just a wholesale company. Instead, they started opening their own tea houses and shops. This change happened under the leadership of Kitti Cha Sangmanee and Richard Bueno.
The very first Mariage Frères tea shop and salon opened on rue du Bourg-Tibourg in Paris. This was the same building where Henri Mariage had his offices more than 150 years ago. The old furniture, cash registers, and tea tools from their historic office were used in the new shop. This made the new shop feel like it was from the 1800s.
Mariage Frères Today
Today, Mariage Frères has over 30 stores. You can find them in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. There are five special Mariage Frères tearooms in Paris.
The company also sells its teas through other stores in more than 60 countries. Their teas are served in famous hotels. These include the Meurice in Paris and Claridge's in London. Japan Airlines also offers their tea to first-class passengers.
In the early 2000s, Mariage Frères launched an online shop. People around the world can buy their teas online. The website is available in French, English, and Japanese.
The company has one main production center in Paris. This center handles teas for Europe and the rest of the world. There is also another center in Japan just for distributing teas there.
