Tracing the footprints of Tea
Last November, I was invited by The London Tea History Association to the unveiling of their first commemorative plaque on Commodity Quay, St. Katherine Docks. to mark an important location in the history of the London tea trade. The London Tea History Association was formed in 2014 with the purpose of marking important locations of the London tea trade before they should disappear in the rapidly changing City landscape. The St. Katherine Dock warehouses were completed in 1826, providing storage for many of the luxury commodities flooding into London such as tea, sugar, spices etc. Imported by the East India Company, the China teas were offloaded further downstream at the East India Docks and then transported in wagons along the newly built Commercial Road to bonded near East India House, on the site of the present Lloyd’s building . The tea was then sold in twice yearly auctions. Once purchased by London wholesalers and dealers, tea and other precious commodities would ha