Ringtons Tea
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Ringtons is a tea manufacturing business based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, North East of England. It was started in 1907[1] by Samuel Smith and delivered tea across the nation through a door to door service which still goes on today.
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[edit] History
One hundred years ago saw the foundations of a Northeast family business that would later become one of the most eminent businesses in the northern regions. In 1872 Samuel Smith was born and raised on Lady Pit Lane in Leeds. At the young age of 10, Samuel joined the Leeds branch of York-based Ridgeway Tea Merchants. He soon made an impression due to his eagerness to learn about the tea industry and with this enthusiasm, it made Sam an ideal aspirant for a future tea salesman. The Yorkshire man had developed a flair for door to door selling and was keen to branch out on his own. Due to a contractual agreement with Ridgeways, Sam was unable to set up a competitive business within a 50 mile radius so he moved to Newcastle upon Tyne.
With an initial investment of £250 from business partner, William Titterington, Samuel began making door to door tea deliveries to customers on the horse and carriage. A year later, two horses were in operation and Sam Smith had four loyal assistants to help cope with what was a rapidly expanding enterprise.
By 1914, Samuel Smith had bought out the Titterington’s share of the business and Ringtons truly was growing into a family business when Samuel’s son, Douglas joined the company as a tea delivery boy. There were 11 vans and 17 employees at the Heaton-based business however, as with a lot of businesses at this time, the First World War had consequential effects on the tea company. Many of the employees were sent to fight for the country and rationing and sales laws were put into force. However, strong to his word, Samuel promised the service men their job would be waiting for them on their return and sure enough, all 12 surviving members of his former staff came back to their job.
In the early twenties, Ringtons bought two motorised vehicles however it seemed the house- wives of the twenties preferred their tea delivered on the horse and cart, and it wasn’t until 1956 before the last horse retired.
In 1927, Samuel returned to his birth home on Lady Pit Lane in Leeds. He demolished his former home and re-built it as the new Ringtons factory. It still stands to this day as a Seek temple and still has the original Ringtons engravings on the exterior. The following year Ringtons had opened their new headquarters in Algernon Road, Byker –where it still remains to this day – as well as offices all over the north of England.
The Smith family believed strongly in values and looking after their employees so throughout the 30’s, the Smith’s would take all the Ringtons’ employees to Scarborough for the day.
Ringtons was once again threatened in 1939 by the Second World War. Over 400 Ringtons’ employees, including Samuel’s four grandsons, were called up to fight for the country. By 1943, 400 employees had been called up and 200 vans were taken off the road. Once again through employee loyalty, the surviving servicemen including his grandsons, returned to work for the tea company.
Samuel Smith passed away at age 77 in 1949 and his sons took on the business. Now in the fourth generation of Smiths’, Ringtons continues to flourish as a family business after 100 years. Now with 28 offices, a dedicated Ringtons Catering division and 5 Ringtons Stores in Kingston upon Thames, Canterbury, Cambridge, Brighton and Exeter, Ringtons continues to thrive and succeed in the tea industry.
Ringtons products target audiences of all ages, demographics and taste. Their products range from your traditional tea-bag tea to their exquisite aromatic leaf tea infusions from their long term suppliers in Kenya, Malawi and Rwanda in Africa, Assam and Darjeeling in India and from Sri Lanka and China.
[edit] Ringtons Stores
Ringtons Tea & Coffee opened retail stores for the first time in 2006/2007. The stores allow customers to explore their full collection of traditional, exotic and rare products from round the world. The Ringtons stores are located in Brighton, Cambridge, Canterbury, Exeter and Kingston upon Thames.
[edit] Ringtons Catering
It was a natural progression to expand into supplying commercial outlets hence the development of Ringtons Catering Division. Now established for over 30 years, Ringtons have been supplying hotel chains, restaurants, cafes, offices and car dealerships with a full range of beverages, coffee machines and sundries. Supplies are tailored to each establishment's requirements, with deliveries to their customers. The products are blended, packed and delivered from their central production facility in Newcastle.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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