The story of Morning Kick is part of an ancient lineage, that of the great blends that have shaped the history of tea.
When tea first arrived in England in the 17th century, it was enjoyed neat, an exotic import from China and the distant East Indies. But it was in the 19th century, in a world undergoing a revolution in industry and colonialism, that the art of blending truly emerged. As plantations expanded in India, in the Brahmaputra valleys and the foothills of Darjeeling, and later in Ceylon, British merchants realized that each terroir possessed its own unique character. By blending them, they could achieve a new kind of perfection: that of balance.
Thus began the great saga of blending. Assam, dense and malty, provided the structure; Ceylon, light and vibrant, brought the brightness. London blenders, like master craftsmen, harmonized these contrasts with a keen sense of balance. This era saw the birth of legendary blends, such as English Breakfast and Earl Grey, which would become staples in every tea house in England. Behind each recipe lay a vision: that of an art that transcends geography to create a universal emotion.
It is in this heritage that the history of Betjeman & Barton is rooted. In 1919, Arthur Betjeman, a tea enthusiast trained in Dublin and London, arrived in Paris with a simple yet ambitious idea: to unite British expertise with the spirit of French elegance. A few years later, in 1927, he partnered with Percy Barton to found a company dedicated to passing on this rare knowledge: the art of blending.
At a time when tea in France remained a curiosity for connoisseurs, Arthur and Percy elevated it to a new status, that of an art of living. They did not simply import the English tradition; they reinvented it. Their blends became creations in their own right, reflecting an era that saw a culture of taste, conversation, and refinement flourish in Parisian salons.
Under their hands, the blend ceased to be a simple assemblage to become a signature: that of a House which combines exacting standards, imagination and elegance.
Nearly a century later, Morning Kick perpetuates this founding vision. Heir to a savoir-faire passed down through generations, this black tea combines two great historical terroirs, Assam and Ceylon, in a remarkably coherent blend. The result is a dense, invigorating, perfectly balanced cup that embodies the very spirit of the House: the taste of morning, the precision of the craft, the nobility of the everyday elevated to an art form.
From Early Morning Broken Bio to Daybreak, from Notting Hill to Morning Kick, each Betjeman & Barton blend tells a story of this heritage adventure. More than just a tea, it's a memory passed down, a tradition that continues to evolve, true to Arthur and Percy's intuition: to give each cup the depth of a story and the precision of a masterpiece.
