EPISODE · Sep 14, 2026 · 10 MIN

The Secret History of British Tea: Trade, Smuggling and Empire

from The Proper British History Podcast: Kings, Queens, Wars, Empire, Politics, Revolutions, Royalty and the Historical Great Britain · host Podily

From Dutch merchants in the seventeenth‑century to East India Company monopolies, this episode traces how Britain’s love of tea was shaped by smuggling, colonial trade, opium and sugar plantations. It shows that each cup is a nexus of empire, industry and exploitation—an ordinary drink with an extraordinary political past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 14, 2026

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

Ready to play

The Secret History of British Tea: Trade, Smuggling and Empire

0:00 10:02

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Proper British History Podcast: Kings, Queens, Wars, Empire, Politics, Revolutions, Royalty and the Historical Great Britain?

This episode is 10 minutes long.

When was this The Proper British History Podcast: Kings, Queens, Wars, Empire, Politics, Revolutions, Royalty and the Historical Great Britain episode published?

This episode was published on September 14, 2026.

Can I download this The Proper British History Podcast: Kings, Queens, Wars, Empire, Politics, Revolutions, Royalty and the Historical Great Britain episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!