Thomas Lipton was born in Glasgow in 1850. He opened his own shop in 1870. Within a few years new Lipton’s shop were opened all over Scotland.
At the beginning Lipton shops sold mainly hams, eggs, cheeses and butter. Later, Lipton entered the tea market and again with dramatic success. Thomas Lipton was the first tea manufacturer to buy his own tea estates as a means of ensuring consistently high quality.
In 1880, he move aggressively to replace coffee with tea, then went on to build the Lipton brand of Ceylon into the giant of the Western tea world.
By 1890, he had organized a chain of 300 stores in the British Isles, then entered the tea market, introducing the idea of individually packed blends.
Lipton’s business empire grew, and his stores were in many lands. His name, known around the world associated with ‘Lipton’s Tea’ became a household word.
Lipton died in 1931.
In 1952 Lipton Tea Company patented its Flo-Thru tea bag; a four sided, double chamber bag that allowed the tea greater contact with water and more room to expand in the bag.
Unilever acquired Lipton n 1972.
History of Lipton tea
