Red Rose Tea facts for kids
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| Private Limited company | |
| Industry | Tea |
| Founded | 1890, Saint John, New Brunswick |
| Headquarters |
Toronto, ON
,
Canada
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| Owner | Teekanne (US) Lipton Teas and Infusions (Canada) |
Red Rose Tea is a well-known tea company. It was started by Theodore Harding Estabrooks in 1894 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Theodore first worked with many different products. But he soon focused on tea. He noticed that loose tea leaves were not always the same. So, he started putting tea into small bags. This made sure every cup of Red Rose tea tasted great and was consistent.
Red Rose Tea is owned by different companies in different places. In Canada, it belongs to Lipton Teas and Infusions. In the United States, the "Red Rose" tea brand is owned by Teekanne. Since 2018, Harris Tea Company has made Red Rose tea in the USA under a special agreement.
Contents
Catchy Slogans and Tea Sayings
Red Rose Tea used to have a famous saying in its ads: "Only in Canada, you say? Pity..." This saying sometimes changed to, "Only in Canada, eh? Pity..." as a fun Canadian twist.
As the brand grew, these slogans didn't fit as well. So, Red Rose Tea started using simpler sayings. These included "Red Rose Tea is Good Tea" and "A cup'll do you good." These new slogans were easy to remember and worked for everyone.
Exploring Red Rose Tea Flavors
Red Rose tea has been sold in the United States since the 1920s. The "Original Blend" in the US is a mix of different black teas. This is not the same as the "orange pekoe" tea sold in Canada.
Besides their Original Blend, Red Rose Tea offers many other exciting flavors. Here are some of the types you can find:
- Specialty Teas:
- English Breakfast
- English Breakfast Decaf (without caffeine)
- Irish Breakfast
- Irish Breakfast Decaf (without caffeine)
- Earl Grey
- Sweet Temptations Teas: These teas are made to taste like delicious desserts!
- Peach Cobbler
- Pumpkin Pie
- Caramel Apple Pie
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Blueberry Muffin
- Lemon Cake
Fun Collectibles from Red Rose Tea
From the 1950s to the 1970s, Red Rose Tea packages often came with special gifts. These gifts were called "premiums." They included fortune-telling teacups, collectible tea cards, and small ceramic figures. These figures are often called "Wade whimsies."
Fortune-Telling Tea Cups
Red Rose Tea once gave away special white teacups with gold designs. There were three cups in the set, numbered 1, 2, and 3 on the bottom. They were made in England from fine bone china. These cups were used for "tasseography," which is a way of telling fortunes by reading tea leaves. Each cup came with a small book explaining how to read the tea leaves.
Collectible Tea Cards
Red Rose Tea also gave out collectible tea cards. These cards came in yearly sets of 48 cards. They were given out from 1959 to 1975. Each year had a different theme.
| Series | Name | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Songbirds of North America | 1959 |
| 2 | Animals of North America | 1960 |
| 3 | Wildflowers of North America | 1961 |
| 4 | Birds of North America | 1962 |
| 5 | Dinosaurs | 1963 |
| 6 | Tropical Birds | 1964 |
| 7 | African Animals | 1965 |
| 8 | Butterflies of North America | 1966 |
| 9 | Canadian/American Songbirds | 1967 |
| 10 | Transportation through the ages | 1968 |
| 11 | Trees of North America | 1969 |
| 12 | The Space Age | 1970 |
| 13 | North American Wildlife in Danger | 1971 |
| 14 | Exploring the Ocean | 1972 |
| 15 | Animals and their Young | 1973 |
| 16 | The Arctic | 1974 |
| 17 | Indians of Canada | 1975 |
Tiny Figurines: Wade Whimsies
In 1967, Red Rose Tea started giving away small, shiny porcelain figures. These figures were made by the Wade Pottery company in England. At first, these giveaways were only in Quebec, Canada, for a short time. But soon, the figures were given out across all of Canada.
In the 1970s, the figures were tested in the United States. They were given out in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in the Pacific Northwest states. By 1983, the figures were given out all over the United States.
Different sets of figures were made for Canada and the US. For example, Canadian figures included nursery rhyme characters that were not sold in the US. This changed in 1985, when the Canadian and US sets became almost the same. The company says that over 300 million Wade figures have been given away in tea packages in America!
The Red Rose Tea figure promotion ended in 2018. You can still buy some figures directly from Red Rose Tea online. But they are no longer found inside tea boxes in stores. Now, most people find these figures in antique shops or from collectors.
US Wade Figurine Collections
Here are some of the different sets of Wade figurines given away in the United States:
- American Series #1 (1983–1985): This set included animals like a Monkey, Lion, Buffalo, Bush Baby, Owl, Bear Cub, Rabbit, Squirrel, Bird, Otter, Hippo, Seal, Wild Boar, Turtle, and Elephant.
- American Series #2 (1985–1994): More animals joined this series, such as a Koala, Giraffe, Pine Marten, Langur, Gorilla, Camel, Kangaroo, Tiger, Zebra, Polar Bear, Orangutan, Raccoon, Rhino, Beaver, Leopard. Later, a Puppy, Kitten, Rabbit, Pony, and Cockatiel were added in 1990.
- Circus Series (1994–1999): This fun set featured circus characters and animals. It had a Bear, Standing Elephant, Rearing Elephant, Teapot Monkey, Teacup Monkey, Lion, Poodle, Seal, Horse, Tiger, Ringmaster, Human Cannonball, Strongman, Blue Clown, and Green Clown. The last five were added in 1996. You could also buy a separate circus ring display.
- North American Endangered Animals Series (1999–2002): This series taught about animals needing protection. It included a Sturgeon, Manatee, Timber Wolf, Bald Eagle, Florida Panther, Polar Bear, Peregrine Falcon, Green Sea Turtle, Humpback Whale, and Spotted Owl.
- Noah's Ark Series (2002–2006): This set featured pairs of animals, like those from Noah's Ark. It had Noah & wife (as one figure), male and female Elephant, male and female Rhino, male and female Zebra, Goose, Gander, Hen, Rooster, Ram, Ewe, Lion, and Lioness. A Noah's Ark display was also sold separately.
- Pet Shop Series (2006–2008): This series featured popular pets. It included a Labrador Retriever, Cat, Tropical Fish, Parrot, Kittens, Puppies, Pony, Rabbit, Turtle, and Duck. A pet shop display was also available separately.
- Calendar Series (2008–2012): Each figure in this series represented a month of the year. For example, January had a Snowman, February a Cupid, March a Leprechaun, April an Easter Bunny, May Mother's Day Flowers, June a Graduation Cap & Books, July Uncle Sam, August a Sandcastle, September a Scarecrow, October a Pumpkin Kitty, November a Turkey, and December a Christmas Tree.
- Nautical Wonderland (2012–2015): This series explored the ocean. It included a Compass, Conch Shell, Crab, Diver's Helmet, Lighthouse, Mermaid, Sail Boat, Gull, Seahorse, Ship's Wheel, Starfish, and Treasure Chest.
- American Heritage (2016–2018): This set celebrated American history. It featured an Arrowhead, Bison, Boston Tea Party Crates, Covered Wagon, Liberty Bell, Space Shuttle, Steam Train, Three Corner Hat, Tractor, and the White House.
The figurines are no longer given out in tea boxes in Canada or the United States. Since summer 2018, you can only get them by ordering online.
Red Rose Tea on TV
The Marquis Chimps were famous animal actors who appeared in three TV ads for Red Rose Tea in 1960. In one ad, the chimps played golf. In another, they dressed as cowboys.
The most popular ad was called "Rock and Roll Tea Party." In this ad, the chimps wore plaid suits and played music. They performed a lively jazz song at a pretend "Savoy Ritz" night club. They sang about how great Red Rose Tea was! Chimpanzees had also advertised another tea brand, PG Tips, in the UK since 1956.
In 1968, two radio DJs from Pittsburgh, Zeke Jackson and Frank "Crazy D" DiMino, played the "Rock and Roll Dance Party" song from the ad on their shows. People loved it so much that they asked for it to be released as a record. The DJs got permission from Brooke Bond Foods, the company that owned Red Rose Tea. They released the song on a small 45-rpm record.
