Before arriving in Europe, tea was highly popular in many Asian cultures. In Japan, a ritual was created known as the Tea Ceremony. The ceremony was the ultimate celebration of the 4 Taoists virtues of purity, wisdom, respect and harmony. The ceremony was performed following a strict set of rules combining diplomacy and religion.

The first recorded mention of tea in the West came from an Arabian Merchant who wrote about it in AD 851. It was not until the 17th Century that Europe finally discovered tea. It was the Jesuit missionaries who first brought tea leaves from China.

Tea soon became extremely popular amongst the aristocracy and the more wealthy Europeans. It was considered a valuable commodity. In England, heavy taxes increased the prices further and as a result, the smuggling of tea became a booming industry. By the end of the 18th Century, taxes were reduced and tea became even more popular; It began to replace ale at the (English) breakfast table. The existing coffee houses quickly spotted the potential of the new drink and most of them were soon selling tea alongside coffee.