Typhoo
Encyclopedia
Typhoo is a brand of tea
in the United Kingdom
. It was launched in 1903 by John Sumner Jr. of Birmingham
, England
.
from London
.
In 1870, William and his son John, founded a pharmacy/grocery business in Birmingham
. William's grandson, John Summer Jr. (born in 1856), took over the running of the business in the 1900s. Following comments from his sister on the calming effects of tea fannings
, in 1903, John Jr. decided to create a new tea that he could sell in his shop.
Sumner set his own criteria for the new brand:
The name Typhoo comes from the Chinese word for "doctor" (traditional Chinese: 大夫, hanyu pinyin: dài fū).
to form Cadbury Schweppes. In 1986, in an effort to focus on their core brands, Cadbury Schweppes sold Typhoo, along with Kenco
coffee and Jeyes Fluid
. Typhoo was subject to management buy out forming a new company, Premier Brands, which acquired, in rapid succession, Melrose's, the Glengettie
Tea Company, Ridgeways, and the Jersey Trading Corporation. In 1990, the company was itself acquired by Premier Foods
, then trading as Hillsdown Holdings.
In October 2005, the Indian company Apeejay Surrendra Group
purchased the brands for £80 million from Premier Foods and created The Typhoo Tea Company. The brand is still manufactured at Moreton
on the Wirral
.
Apeejay Typhoo Tea is the Indian arm of Typhoo, manufacturing and selling products in India.
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was launched in 1903 by John Sumner Jr. of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
In 1863, William Sumner published, A Popular Treatise on Tea as a by-product of the first trade missions to ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
In 1870, William and his son John, founded a pharmacy/grocery business in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. William's grandson, John Summer Jr. (born in 1856), took over the running of the business in the 1900s. Following comments from his sister on the calming effects of tea fannings
Fannings
Fannings are small pieces of tea that are left over after higher grades of tea are gathered to be sold. Fannings with extremely small particles are sometimes called dusts. Fannings and dusts are considered the lowest grades of tea, separated from broken-leaf teas which have larger pieces of the...
, in 1903, John Jr. decided to create a new tea that he could sell in his shop.
Sumner set his own criteria for the new brand:
- The name had to be distinctive and unlike others.
- It had to be a name that would trip off the tongue.
- It had to be one that would be protected by registration.
The name Typhoo comes from the Chinese word for "doctor" (traditional Chinese: 大夫, hanyu pinyin: dài fū).
Slogans
The Typhoo brand is well-known in Britain for its long running television commercial campaign jingles, such as :- Putting 'T' back into Britain
- There's only one 'T' in Typhoo
- You only get an 'OO' with Typhoo
- Making Good tea since 1903
- Typhoo Tea - Two Thumbs Fresh
Recent History
In 1968, Typhoo merged with Schweppes. The following year this company in turn merged with CadburyCadbury
-Businesses:*Cadbury Adams, the company's North American subsidiary*Cadbury Ireland, the company's Irish subsidiary*Cadbury UK, the company's UK subsidiary*Cadbury India, the company's Indian subsidiary*Cadbury New Zealand, the company's New Zealand subsidiary...
to form Cadbury Schweppes. In 1986, in an effort to focus on their core brands, Cadbury Schweppes sold Typhoo, along with Kenco
Kenco
Kenco is a brand of instant coffee, and roast & ground coffee distributed by Kraft Foods in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Originally known as the Kenya Coffee Company, they started distributing coffee to Britain in 1923...
coffee and Jeyes Fluid
Jeyes Fluid
Jeyes Fluid is a brand of disinfectant fluid made by Jeyes Group Ltd. in Thetford, Norfolk, England. It is for outdoor use only.Patented by John Jeyes in 1877 the product was granted a Royal Warrant to the British Royal Family in 1896, and continues to supply the Royal household to this day.Jeyes...
. Typhoo was subject to management buy out forming a new company, Premier Brands, which acquired, in rapid succession, Melrose's, the Glengettie
Glengettie
Glengettie is a blend of tea aimed at Welsh consumers. It was first marketed in 1952.Glengettie is usually supplied in bags which are packaged in a brown box, with English and Welsh text on opposite sides....
Tea Company, Ridgeways, and the Jersey Trading Corporation. In 1990, the company was itself acquired by Premier Foods
Premier Foods
Premier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
, then trading as Hillsdown Holdings.
In October 2005, the Indian company Apeejay Surrendra Group
The Park Hotels
The Park Hotels is a chain of five star hotels in India. The Park Hotels belong to the Apeejay Surrendra Group, headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India...
purchased the brands for £80 million from Premier Foods and created The Typhoo Tea Company. The brand is still manufactured at Moreton
Moreton, Merseyside
Moreton is a town on the north coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England. In the 2001 Census, it had a population of 17,670 ....
on the Wirral
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
.
Apeejay Typhoo Tea is the Indian arm of Typhoo, manufacturing and selling products in India.
Executives
- Keith Packer: CEO
- Somnath Saha: Finance Director
- Alan Ramsey: Head of Impulse sales
- Mark Kerrigan: Business unit controller
- Chris Hall: head of Marketing
- Rahul Kale: Director of International Business