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Twinings

 
Wikipedia: Twinings
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Twinings
Current owner Associated British Foods
Country of origin United Kingdom
Introduced 1706
Markets Tea
Website http://www.twinings.com/

Twinings (pronounced /ˈtwaɪnɪŋz/) is a marketer of tea based in Andover, Hampshire, England.

Contents

History

Old Twinings Shop on The Strand, London

The founder of Twinings, Thomas Twining, opened the first known tea room, at 216 Strand, London, in 1706, still operating today. The firm's logo, created in 1787, is one of the world's oldest in continuous use.[1] Holder of a Royal Warrant, Twinings has been owned by Associated British Foods since 1964. Twinings sells a variety of regional and flavored teas such as Lapsang Souchong, Lady Grey and Darjeeling. It is generally accepted that the company was the first to blend Earl Grey in Britain during the premiership of Charles, 2nd Earl Grey, although this is disputed[2] by rival tea merchants Jacksons of Piccadilly,[3] which is owned by Twinings.

Twinings Today

During 2005, Twinings introduced its first generic, non-speciality tea, under the brand 'Everyday Tea'. In 2006 they started producing a tinned chocolate drink, and in 2007 they also launched a selection of tinned coffees onto the market.

The company is a founding member of the Ethical Tea Partnership,[4] a group of tea-packing companies that work for a fair trade policy and monitor the ethical conditions on tea estates.

Twinings owns Nambarrie, a tea company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in trade for 140 years. In April 2008 Twinings announced their decision to close the Nambarrie plant[5]. Twinings said it needed to consolidate its UK manufacturing operations in the face of increasing global competition.

On 2nd November 2009 Twinings announced the planned closure of its North Shields plant and cuts at its Andover facility. A new plant is being built in Poland to supply the European markets. Union bosses said the North Shields factory was “very productive” and accused company management of putting profit before job security. Jane Shotton of union Usdaw said “It is extremely disappointing that a company which proudly calls itself Twinings of London is now moving work to Poland". Twinings commented "This is a very difficult but necessary step which will allow Twinings to remain competitive in our markets worldwide and take full advantage of future growth opportunities".

Criticism

Despite being a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, Twinings is linked to a host of ethical and environmental issues. The criticism includes the worst ECRA rating for environmental reporting, palm oil use, lobbying for unfair EU sugar rules and for owning subsidiaries in tax havens. In the Ethical Consumer magazine on a scale of 0 to 20 where 0-4 is ranked as Very Poor, Twinings receives a score of 2.[6](As of October 2009. Requires login)

Product Range[7]

Tea

Twinings tea tins

Everyday Tea

Generic tea, packaged in cardboard boxes containing 40, 80, 160 or 240 tea bags.

Simply Tea, packaged in cardboard box containing 100 draw string tea bags.

Specialty Teas

Classics
Light Classics
Aromatics
“Twinings &”
Reserve
Premium Quality
  • Organic Blend
  • Premium Quality 1706 (a blend of Assam, Kenyan, and Ceylon black tea)

Green Tea & Infusions

Fresh & Fruity
A Moment of Calm
Revive & Revitalise
Cleanse
Green Teas
Gunpowder tea
White Tea

Coffee blends

Hot Chocolate

Iced Tea

Notable members of the Twining family

References

  1. ^ Standage, T. (2005). A history of the world in six glasses. New York: Walker. P. 202.
  2. ^ "Tea History of the Earl Grey". Art of Tea. 24 October 2008. http://artoftea.com/wordpress/2008/10/24/tea-history-of-the-earl/. Retrieved 18 January 2009. 
  3. ^ "Jacksons of Piccadilly - the finest quality teas from around the world". United Kingdom. http://www.jacksonsofpiccadilly.co.uk/. Retrieved 17 January 2009. "Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities." 
  4. ^ "Ethical Tea Partnership - Working for a Responsible Tea Industry". United Kingdom. http://www.ethicalteapartnership.com/index.asp. Retrieved 17 January 2009. 
  5. ^ "Tea Time Over For Nambarrie". Northern Ireland, United Kingdom: 4NI.co.uk Northern Ireland News. 11 April 2008. http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=74242. Retrieved 17 January 2009. "One of Northern Ireland's top teas - and a favourite in Scotland too - is no longer to be packed in central Belfast." 
  6. ^ www.ethiscore.org. (2009) Detailed report of Twinings ethical and environmental impact.
  7. ^ http://www.twinings.co.uk/our-teas/

External links

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