The East India Company

Granted a Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1600, The East India Company was founded to explore the mysteries of the East. In the process, it mapped trade routes, discovered exotic goods, and established trading ports which would grow into the cities of Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mumbai. It introduced tea to Britain and India, chintz to America, spices to the West Indies, and porcelain to Russia.

It became the single most powerful economic force the world had ever seen, with London at its centre, creating a vast global warehouse stocked with treasures from around the world. Precious cargoes of fine teas, coffees, spices, and silks were available in the same place for the first time. Unexpected, and often remarkable, connections of ingredients, flavours, and materials were suddenly possible, enriching and revitalising everyday life. The Company changed customs, tastes, and ways of thinking – influencing the very fabric of our lives today. It is this legacy and pioneering spirit which continues to guide us.