The story
Founded by Thomas Twining in 1706, in London.1
Twinings was founded by Thomas Twining, of Painswick, Gloucestershire, England, who opened Britain's first known tea room at No. 216 Strand, London, in 1706; it still operates today. The firm's logo, created in 1787, is the world's oldest in continuous use.
Holder of a royal warrant, Twinings was acquired by Associated British Foods in 1964. The company is associated with Earl Grey, a tea infused with bergamot, though it is unclear when this association began, and how important the company's involvement with the tea has been. Competitor Jacksons of Piccadilly, acquired by Twinings during the 1990s, is also associated with the bergamot blend.
In April 2008, Twinings announced the closure of its Nambarrie plant in Belfast, a tea company in trade for over 140 years. Citing an "efficiency drive", Twinings moved most of its production to China and Poland in late 2011, while retaining its Andover, Hampshire factory with a reduced workforce.
In 2023, Twinings ceased production of lapsang souchong, replacing it with a product called "Distinctively Smoky", widely considered to be of inferior quality. Lapsang souchong was one of the tea blends sold by Twinings since the 1700s and was regarded as the favourite drink of Winston Churchill. Twinings cited difficulty sourcing the blend along with rising market prices for the substitution.
From Wikipedia’s article on Twinings, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4