|
TEA BUREAU
CONNECTIONS
SUBSCRIBE TO THE TEA HOUSE
TIMES
February, 2006
The Tea House Times
www.theteahousetimes.com
Contacts:
Julie Rosenberg Ruder Finn
212-715-1581
rosenbergj@ruderfinn.com
TWININGS OF
LONDON MOVING ONWARD AND [C]UPWARD IN ITS THIRD CENTURY
Company Celebrates 300 Years with New Teas and New Packaging
NEW YORK (February 6, 2006) – Twinings North America, Inc. announced today the
beginning of its 300th anniversary celebration for the Twinings of
London specialty tea brand. From blending and brewing its very first cup of tea
in 1706, to the newest Green Tea with Jasmine, Twinings of London has been a
leader in tea innovation worldwide for the past 300 years. Along the way, the
world’s tea experts have helped people in more than 100 countries make the most
of a moment by enjoying one of Twinings perfectly blended teas.
Twinings is still going strong today. The company offers a grand total of 198
blends around the world and tea continues to grow in popularity. For its 300th
year, Twinings is introducing a fine range of new tea blends as well as a
completely new package design and graphics.
Turning Over a
New Tea Leaf
To reflect today’s ever-changing lifestyle and tastes of the more and more
sophisticated tea drinker, Twinings North America, Inc. currently offers more
than 30 regular and decaffeinated specialty tea blends (nearly 200 tea blends
worldwide) within the following tea segments:
Classics: Traditional style black teas blended for exceptional flavour.
Origins: The finest teas from the world’s best tea growing regions.
Flavoured: Blended black tea with delicious fruit, spices & other
flavours.
Green: Light, delicate & refreshing teas that provide a natural source
of antioxidants.
Herbal: Pure herbal & fruit blends that are naturally caffeine free.
To celebrate its 300th Anniversary, Twinings will introduce a
selection of new tea blends including:
Indian Spiced
Chai (Origins)
·
A rich black tea infused with the flavor of Indian spices
including cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger. Based on a centuries-old
recipe native to India, Chai is served with milk and is often sweetened to
enhance the flavor of the spices. In India, Chai is cherished for producing a
warming and soothing effect.
Citrus Spice Sunset (Herbal)
African
Rooibos Red Tea (Origins)
·
Authentic Rooibos (pronounced roy-boss) is a naturally caffeine
free herbal tea with a distinctive reddish color and a pleasantly sweet flavor
that naturally contains antioxidants and minerals. The herbal tea comes only
from the Cedarberg Mountains in the remote area of central South Africa and is
made from the leaves of the Rooibos plant. The leaves are harvested in summer,
fermented and then dried in the sun until they reach a deep mahogany red color.
Cinnamon Apple Breakfast
(Classics)
·
A naturally caffeine free herbal tea with a distinctive reddish
color and a pleasantly sweet flavor that naturally contains antioxidants and
minerals.
New Look and Innovation
With these new flavors comes increased clarity for the consumer, as Twinings has
unveiled an entirely new package design and graphics. In order to guide
consumers to the right tea, with the right flavor and the right strength,
the new packaging identifies each blend with the
appropriate tea segment -- Classics, Origins, Flavoured, Green or Herbal -- and
a flavor descriptor that informs consumers of what they can expect. The
packaging also features a user-friendly ‘tea strength meter’ that easily
illustrates each tea blend’s strength from light to medium or robust to strong
flavour.
Three
Centuries of Leadership
Founded when Thomas Twining purchased the aptly named Tom’s Coffee Shop in 1706,
few imagined that this was the beginning of a family business that would
innovate for centuries and have a major impact on the world’s tea consumption.
That original London shop is still standing, but little else remains unchanged.
“For the past three centuries, Twinings has influenced social tea drinking and
continues to be a leader in the tea industry,” said Director of Corporate
Relations, Stephen Twining, the 10th generation Twining in the tea
business. “We’ve always made it our policy to focus on high-quality products
and innovation to give our customers the best tea-drinking experience possible.”
With that world-famous Twinings store at 216 Strand in London in place, the
company branched out within the tea world and focused on importing and exporting
dry teas. As America became a major consumer, Twinings worked to supply the
market.
Among the many Twinings fans in the new world was the Governor of Boston. In
fact, it was later specifically noted that Twinings tea was not dumped in the
harbor during the famous Boston Tea Party – leaving that for the lesser brands.
The influence of Twinings reached far beyond the consumer; the venerable brand
has played a part in politics too. Following the American Revolution, Richard
Twining was instrumental in convincing then-Prime Minister William Pitt to lower
the level of taxes being levied on teas. He was successful, and the Commutation
Act of 1784 made tea affordable for all.
As the leader in tea, Twinings is also the tea for leaders! In 1837, Twinings
was granted its first Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria and it currently holds
Royal Warrants of Appointment to Her Majesty -
The Queen, Her Majesty - The Queen Mother and His Royal Highness - The Prince of
Wales.
Never Content to Sit and Steep
Within its 300 years of history, Twinings has survived and thrived because of an
unfailing commitment to innovation and leadership. In fact, strong evidence
suggests that Twinings was the first company to introduce an Earl Grey blend –
designed specifically for the Earl himself. And, while it may seem as though
Green tea is sweeping the nation, at Twinings, this is a trend 300 years
in-the-making, as a green tea blend was being sold all the way back in 1706.
Mary Little, the second wife of Daniel Twining, took over the company following
his death in 1972. At a time when illegally imported tea was flooding the
market at substantially reduced prices, she maintained the integrity of the
Twinings brand and raised the future generation of Twinings leadership.
To meet increasing demand, Twinings has grown production capacity, and currently
operates factories in England, India and China. Quality was always the goal,
however, and Twinings was the first tea company ever to win a Queen’s Award for
Export in 1972 (and again in 1977).
“The idea of a brand surviving and thriving for 300 years, as an American, is
simply staggering,” said Marketing Director of Twinings North America, Michael
Cobb. “We’re celebrating the 300th Anniversary to spotlight the
company’s tea heritage, quality and innovation and to look forward to another
300 years of tea leadership.”
About Twinings North America, Inc.
Since 1706, Twinings tea has been at the forefront of the tea trade, providing
rewarding tea moments to consumers around the world. Customers in more than 100
countries enjoy Twinings products. The broad range of Twinings flavors provides
a rich selection of black, green and herbal teas
available in both teabag and loose
tea packages. The black teas and green teas are all rich in
antioxidants. Twinings is available across the United States in leading grocery
stores, mass merchandisers, specialty stores and online at
http://www.twinings.com/.
Twinings North America, Inc. is part of Associated British Foods, an
international food, ingredients and retail group. The group is one of Europe's
largest food companies with annual sales of £5.2 billion and over 35,000
employees.
# # #
| 
