The Honourable Tradition Of The Tea Chest
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios


Defined Tag: Tea Chest.

If you can picture a treasure chest, you have a rough idea of what tea chests look like. A permanent fixture of British history, these tea chests were used to carry tea from the Far East to the United Kingdom. In most cases, they were relatively small, but sturdy wooden boxes that were reinforced by metal edges. The only had one major flaw: when they were empty (i.e. when they had unloaded the tea in the UK and were headed back to the Far East), they took up too much room in ships, since they could not be folded up or collapsed to save cargo room. This was precisely why the reason why these boxes were discarded in favor of other methods.

These tea carrying chests may have fallen out of favour, but the name and concept have not. This kind of chest has come to mean a moving or packing crate of similar size. These moving chests now contain personal belongings and furniture rather than tea. Modern tea chests are made of sturdy cardboard or similar rigid material. The difference between the modern and ancient tea-style chest is that the modern chest can be folded for easy storage on the return trip.

The idea of a chest that stores tea has been revived in another fashion. Many tea companies now package their products in large assortments using decorative wooden chests. These modern tea storage chests are about the size of a briefcase, and may have a handle and clasp for secure carrying. These chests may contain hundreds of individual tea bags, or larger bulk bags of tea. Elegance is key, because these wooden display chests are often inlaid with expensive engravings or woods. The interiors may be lined with velvet. This new type of chest for tea is a decoration as well as a container.

Even to this day, these portable tea chests can make a memorable, functional, long lasting gift for anyone who really enjoys the rich taste and history of tea. You may want to consider purchasing a thick, heavy mahogany tea chest for that special tea connoisseur and pack it with high quality Ceylon teas.