Earl Grey (1764-1845) Charles, 2nd Earl Grey was Prime Minister
from 1830 to 1834. He was a great reformer, but best-known for
the blend of tea that still bears his name. The blend was a gift
from a grateful Chinese mandarin. When his original supply ran
out, Earl Grey asked his tea merchants, Twinings, to recreate it
for him. An unfavorable characteristic generally caused by
storing tea under damp conditions. East India Company A private
company that had a monopoly over British trade with the East.
The Company was granted its exclusive charter in 1600 by
Elizabeth I, and was dissolved in 1858. The East India Company
had a profound effect on the history of tea, initially through
its control of the Anglo-Chinese tea trade, latterly by
introducing tea-production to India. Traditionally a blend of
China Keemums. Today, the blend has evolved to include Ceylon
and India teas to produce a full-bodied brew. A term used to
describe a plantation or garden where tea is grown.