Ringtons Tea

Ringtons is a tea and coffee manufacturing business based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It delivers tea across the nation through a door-to-door service. Although best known for tea, Ringtons offers other groceries and products, including coffee, biscuits and sweets.
History
Ringtons was founded in 1907 by Samuel Smith.
Smith was born in Leeds in 1872 and grew up in a small cottage on Lady pit Lane. At 10, he started work in the tea trade and grew intimately familiar with it over the next 25 years. With his business partner, William Titterington, Smith started Ringtons, naming it after the last 7 letters of Titterington's name. With Smith's initial £250 in capital, they purchased a stock of tea, a horse, a van and other utensils. Then, they delivered tea directly to customers' homes in a way inspired by methods being used in Sheffield. As the business grew, Smith moved to larger premises and bought out Titterington's share of the business.
In 1914, Ringtons workers were called up to the front in World War I, which also brought rationing. These developments almost put a stop to trade, but Smith diversified the range of goods to include dried eggs, baking powder, canned meats, fish and pickles. After the war, there was a rebirth of the business, with Smith employing ex-servicemen wherever possible. He opened up 48 depots as his business grew.<ref name="household-names" />
With a post-war boom in business, in 1926 Smith opened a purpose-built factory and six-story head office in Algernon Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. The business continued to grow, and in 1935, Ringtons expanded the tea-packing department and built a packing factory on the site of the house where he had been born in Leeds.
Annual trips to Scarborough were arranged for the staff and their families.
World War II brought a succession of severe setbacks for the business. Over 400 Ringtons employees served in the forces, including Smith's grandsons. Smith donated his own car to the ambulance corps, and the company was compelled to take 200 vans off the road in 1943.
Smith died on 12 August 1949, aged 77. His will left sons Douglas and Malcolm with shares in the business and, at the age of 50, Douglas took over Ringtons, to be joined by sons Norman, Douglas Junior and Jonnie.<ref name="ringtons" />
In 1972, Douglas's son Johnnie took over at Ringtons and his eldest son Nigel joined the business.
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher visited the Algernon Road factory. The Conservative leader told of her preference for tea bags, noting they are "much more convenient."
In the 1980s, Johnnie's other sons Simon and Colin joined the business.
Recent changes to the business include the introduction of vacuum-packing techniques and the construction of a custom-built factory in North Tyneside.
Ringtons Doorstep Delivery
Ringtons door-to-door service delivers to over 280,000 customers throughout the UK.
Ringtons Beverages
The wholesale division of Ringtons has been established for over 30 years. Ringtons Beverages supplies tea, coffee, supplies and machinery to the hospitality trade.

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