While searching online for tea I found the history of PG Tips. It is not everyday that a product such as tea has a unique story behind it. I do not know about you, but I find the history of how a business came about to be quite fascinating.
You see PG Tips began with an entrepreneur who opened his first shop in Manchester, United Kingdom in 1869. Mr. Arthur Brooke opened what we would call a modern day coffee house selling coffee, tea, and sugar. He had the fantastic idea to break the mold of other tea companies who were producing blended teas. Mr. Brooke produced pure, high-quality teas from India and China making his brand quite popular. Who would have thought being different and innovative could work?
Following Arthur Brooke’s influence of innovation and creativity, PG Tips launched a novel advertising campaign involving chimpanzees. At this time there were not many commercials aired in the United Kingdom. PG Tips hit gold with the campaign for the chimpanzees to be one of the longest running characters in British television advertising.
Another bit of the story is PG Tips produced the most expensive tea bag ever made. The tea bag was covered in 280 diamonds raffled off to raise money for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Okay, okay, I know-do not give away the entire story. Sit down with a cup of tea and check out the rest of PG Tips’ history.
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A classic entry originally published 01.23.2009
Tea Blog 
In the 1960’s Brooke Bond sponsored the National School Awards. I have such a school prize (What shall we draw by Adrian Hill) with a Brooke Bond Certificate pasted inside the book.
Cool!
wow!!!! my favorite tea!!!!! i really really love it…i drink it any time of the day…perfect with milk and half teaspoon brown sugar, it’s dlightfull, tastefull, gives me energy and awake me up early in the morning
I was wondering two things.
1) What does PG stand for?
2) Do you have any English stores in Georgia near Loganville in Gwinnett Cty.?
Hello K,
Great questions you asked.
1.) A mini history lesson about PG Tips… in the 1930s PG Tips was known as “Digestive” and later as “Pre-Gestee.” Originally, this tea was created and marketed as a digestive tea implying that it could be drunk before food was digested. Later down the line, sales representatives and grocers shortened the name to PG, and Tips was added, referring to the tips of the buds used in the blend.
2.) In reference to your second question… English Tea Store is an internet-based store only. Our warehouse and corporate offices are in New Stanton, PA. Sorry to say there are not any physical locations of the store, but you can order products from the English Tea Store any time – day or night.