Punjana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Punjana is a brand of tea produced by the Belfast based tea company Punjana Limited. Punjana Limited is the only major privately owned business in Northern Ireland involved in the importation, blending and packaging of branded and own label teas[1]. Punjana was founded in 1896 by the Thompson family. It has since become one of the most popular brands in Ireland and Scotland. It buys its teas from tea gardens in Assam, North India and on the slopes of Mount Kenya.
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[edit] History
The company was originally founded by McArthur and Willis near the docklands of Belfast. In 1896, Robert Samuel Thompson, who had been in the tea business since 1887 and had studied the art of tea tasting, was made a partner. He led the company for 51 years. The association of the company with the Thompson family was strengthened when in the post-war years when James and Tony Thompson also became partners in the company. They were responsible for the birth and the development of the Punjana brand.
Ross and David Thompson are currently the joint managing directors of Punjana Limited and are responsible for the tea tasting.
[edit] Trivia
- The name "Punjana" was taken from an inscription relating to the "Punjab" on the Gillespie statue in Comber Square, Comber, Northern Ireland.
- 60,000 cups of Punjana tea are drunk every hour of the day, 365 days a year[2].
