Tea Cosy Renaissance

Where did it all Begin

The tea cosy time line begins when tea was first introduced to Britain in the 1660s by King Charles II wife, Catherine of Braganza who brought the pleasure of tea taking to court. Importing tea at that time was very costly and was a pleasure only the aristocracy could afford until 1750 when  colonialism and the ever increasing empire helped tea became Britain’s national drink.

In 1840, four o’clock was established as the time for afternoon tea, and is still known as such today. During this era ‘well to do’ ladies didn’t work, so the introduction of afternoon tea was a welcomed occupation.  Unlike today, it was a rather posh affair; the best china (usually fine China tea services imported from China) would be used to serve fancy cakes and pastries to accompany the tea.  But afternoon tea was not just about drinking tea, it was also about socializing.  Afternoon tea was a time for networking and keeping up to date with the latest gossip and topical news, and of course with all the chatter at the table, the teapot would go cold. Usually this would cut short tea parties giving reluctant guests an excuse to leave instead of sending for a fresh pot of tea.  That is where the tea cosy came about; a little warm jacket to keep the tea pot piping hot and the chatter continuing. 

The tea cosy craze died for a while, but since the boom of arts and crafts around the globe, many people have picked up their knitting needles and are making their own tea cosies to accompany their tea pot in the home.