Brooke Bond - History

History

Brooke Bond & Company was founded by Arthur Brooke who was born at 6 George Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England in 1845. He opened his first tea shop in 1869 at 23 Market Street, Manchester, Lancashire. There was never a "Mr Bond"; According to current boxes of Brooke Bond Tea, Arthur Brooke chose the name because it was his 'bond' to customers to provide a quality tea, hence Brooke Bond. The firm expanded into wholesale tea sales in the 1870s.

In the 1950s and 1960s, packets of Brooke Bond tea included illustrated tea cards, usually 50 in a series, which were collected by many children. One of the most famous illustrators of these cards was Charles Tunnicliffe, the internationally acclaimed bird painter. Most of the initial series were wildlife-based, including 'British Wild Animals', 'British Wild Flowers', 'African Wild Life', 'Asian Wild Life', and 'Tropical Birds'. From the late 1960s, they included historical subjects, such as 'British Costume', 'History of the Motor Car', and 'Famous Britons'. Complete sets and albums in good condition are now highly sought-after collectors' items. The inclusion of these cards in packets of tea ceased in 1999. There were well over 200 series issued and many of them have since been reprinted. A comprehensive list of the these series can be found at the London Cigarette Card Company

The most famous brand of Brooke Bond was PG Tips, launched in 1930. The company merged with Liebig in 1968, becoming Brooke Bond Liebig, which was acquired by Unilever in 1984. The Brooke Bond name has since been significantly decreased by Unilever, however it is possible to still buy boxes of 'Brooke Bond Tea Co' tea in the UK, they tend not to surface in the supermarkets however. However Gold Crown Foods Ltd is licensed by Unilever to use the Brooke Bond name for the Brooke Bond 'D' and Brooke Bond Choicest brands.

The Brooke Bond brand is still used in other countries, especially in India. In Pakistan, Brooke Bond Supreme is the number-one-selling tea brand. Unilever markets it as being stronger than its Lipton Yellow Label blend.

The Brooke Bond factory is at Trafford Park near Manchester, although this is separate from Gold Crown Food's factory in Liverpool.