About 216 Strand

Our historical shop at 216 Strand is a must visit place when you are in London.

The Tea Bar

Join us for a cup at our new premium sampling bar. Move beyond the familiar with a daily selection of loose leaf teas and infusions, hand-chosen by our expert Brand Ambassadors.

Perhaps a new Twinings range has caught your eye? Our tea bar gives you the opportunity to touch, smell and taste Twinings products for yourself. Feel free to request a sample, or chat to a member of our team for recommendations.

“It's fun to sample flavours you've never had before!”

Pick & Mix

Amongst our gift options, you’ll find our Pick & Mix wall. A firm favourite with our customers, here you can create a personalised selection of tea bag envelopes, alone or in a deluxe Twinings wooden box.

“Tea Lovers’ Paradise!”

Meet Natalia Our Store Manager

“Everyone has their favourite tea so people often shop for it in auto-pilot, because the huge range of teas can be intimidating. Here in the shop we can introduce them to new teas, educate them about a specific tea, and change people’s perception about it.”“Tasting the tea is a crucial part of this, which is why we always have between 4 and 5 different types of tea on the go at the bar and one of us is always on hand to brew, pour, explain and chat about tea!”

History of 216 Strand

Thomas Twining was the man who started, what turned out to be, a great tea company. When he purchased Tom’s Coffee House in 1706 (the name is pure coincidence), he knew he was buying a business in a prime location.

After the Great Fire of London, the wealthy and aristocratic families were relocating to the west of the city walls and building new houses around the area of Devereux Court, where Tom’s Coffee House was located.

Competition between the 2000-plus London coffee houses was stiff, so Thomas introduced fine quality tea as his point of difference.

Despite the ridiculously high tax on tea, it was fast becoming a fashionable drink amongst the upper-class ladies of London. 

However, in the eighteenth century, a lady would never enter a coffee house. So, to purchase her tea, she would have to wait in her carriage whilst a male servant would enter the shop and make the transaction on her behalf. Thomas spotted an opportunity here. Having acquired the three neighbouring properties, he opened the world’s first dry tea and coffee shop, standing in its current location at 216 London Strand. Now ladies could browse tea for themselves without damaging their reputation!

Over the years, Twinings has had some very important customers. Notably Jane Austen, but one of Thomas’s best customers was destined to become a famous artist: William Hogarth. When William was a regular at Tom’s Coffee House, he had not yet been recognised for his great talent. In fact, he struggled to settle his account with Thomas. According to the family, Thomas struck up a deal with William: in exchange for painting his portrait, William’s debt would be settled and perhaps some credit established too. You can view this wonderful portrait in the Strand tasting room today.