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Sir George & The Park

Staunton and Earl Grey

In the early 1800’s, Sir George’s Father, George Thomas Staunton was part of an expedition that collected 2000 tea plants from China and used them to set up tea gardens in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), breaking the Chinese monopoly.

He also experimented in growing hybrid varieties and his name is linked with the Earl Grey blend supposedly developed at Kew by Sir Joseph Banks.

Sir George Staunton is said to have sent samples of Earl Grey Blend to his friend Joseph Banks at Kew Gardens.

Neroli oil was difficult to get so Banks substituted bergamot oil from Italy - blended with ‘ Ceylon tea‘ and the Earl Grey tea (named after the Prime Minister Sir Charles Grey) we know was born.

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