Tea Bags

Most tea in the UK today is made by using tea bags according to official sources. In our busy lives it is a convenient way to enjoy our daily cuppa.

The tea bag is not a new invention, in fact it was developed in the USA in the early 1900s by mistake. Loose tea was delivered by a New York merchant in silk bags which tea drinkers used as a tea bag - hence the evolution of the tea bag today. Through the 1920s the bag was developed in the USA for commercial purposes. However, it was not really taken up in the UK until the 1950s - the British were previously apprehensive prior to it being introduced to the UK by Tetleys and then it was an overnight success and the traditional teapot gave way to the convenience of making tea in a cup.

Over the decades the tea bag has been enhanced from its humble beginnings when low quality tea was used through to present day where high quality tea is used in bags, pouches or sachets.

A good quality tea bag should have enough room for the tea to infuse properly.

Nowadays bags are usually paper-enveloped or foil-enveloped to ensure freshness and some have string and tags attached to the bag making removal easier.

The most up to date tea bags are now produced from sustainable sources, they are bio-degradable and are unbleached.