The Best of all losers: Sir Thomas Lipton

By Phillip Hogan

November 27th, 2009
Posted in Tea History

Fondly remembered as ‘the best of all losers’, Sir Thomas Lipton really was the Richard Branson of his day. A marketing genius and part-time adventurer Lipton will always be remembered as the founder of one of the biggest brands in the tea world.  

Born in Glasgow in 1850, although this date seems to vary, Thomas Johnstone Lipton led a varied and rather fascinating life. Having left school at the age of thirteen to help support his family, Lipton went on to leave his native Scotland and travelled extensively. Taking up a position as a cabin boy in 1864, at the tender age of fourteen, he travelled to the United States of America and worked his way across the Country as farmhand, door-to-door salesman in New Orleans, as well a grocer in New York City.

Returning to Scotland in 1870, ‘Lipton’s Market’ was founded and success followed soon after. By 1888, with stores across Britain, Sir Thomas entered the mysterious world of the tea trade. Seeing a niche in the market, with tea prices falling and growing demand, he by-passed the long-established hub of the tea trade at the time – London’s Mincing Lane, effectively cutting out the middle-man, so to speak, selling high quality, reasonably priced tea to the poorer working class. 

With the slogan, ‘Direct from the tea garden to the tea pot’ Lipton travelled all across the British Empire in search of the finest tea. Finally reaching Sri Lanka in the 1890s he purchased a number of plantations, employing 5,000 workers and eventually importing tea to Britain. The quality of Lipton’s tea quickly became famous within Britain, with even Queen Victoria part-taking in the occasional cup. So good in fact, that he was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1898. 

Outside of Britain, Lipton struggled to introduce his brand of tea to the US, receiving a rather tepid response. Ever the entrepreneur, although perhaps not in the way he first intended, Sir Thomas challenged for the America’s Cup, on five separate occasions. So ardent were his attempts to win the coveted cup that his efforts were rewarded with a specially designed trophy for ‘the best of all losers’. His success, or lack thereof, rocketed his brand to fame in the US, thus securing Lipton tea’s place among the greats. 

Now present in over 150 countries, Lipton tea continues to be enjoyed by tea drinkers all over the world.

Twitter It!

Contact Phillip Hogan at phil@allabouttea.co.uk

Read other articles by Phillip Hogan