English / Federal Tea Caddy

The word Caddy is believed to be derived from catty, the Chinese pound, equal to about a pound and a third avoirdupois.

Historically, if you were wealthy enough to have tea, you would have a craftsman build you a tea caddy. From 1662 to the 1830’s tea caddies were all the rage. A Caddy was a treasured and valuable piece of furniture in its own right. Kept under lock and key, the lady of the house would often keep charge of the keys to the caddy to keep its precious contents of loose tea leaves safe. Caddies were, and still are, air tight to keep the teas’ precious flavours in.

Interested in learning more about the history of the Tea Caddy? Click here for a fascinating article published by Simon Foord on the subject.