To celebrate our 18th Birthday this year (June 17th, 2025) and the pending 250th birthday (Dec 16th 1775) of one of our favorite tea drinking authors, Jane Austen, we’re finally debuting our newest Limited Edition black tea blend.

Under lock n’ key is how Jane Austen stored her beloved tea leaves.The image of the wooden tea caddy is from the Jane Austen House:“This caddy was found in Chawton Cottage by tenants who occupied the house after Cassandra’s death, and is believed to have belonged to the Austen women.”

Jane purchased her tea in person from Twinings at The Strand in London to make sure it was authentic. In a letter to her sister Cassandra in 1814, she wrote: “I am sorry to hear that there has been a rise in tea. I do not mean to pay Twining til later in the day, when we may order a fresh supply.”

Why was she so concerned? Because of adulteration by unscrupulous dealers who mixed tea with other leaves, floor scraps, and harmful substances like iron filings. Unforgivable! Also, at the beginning of the 18th century, the British government heavily taxed tea imports (120%) making it prohibitively expensive for most people. Hence, locking it up and carrying the key.

Tea was imported by the East Indies Tea Company during Jane’s time, and most were drinking China Black teas because tea production of Indian teas in Assam didnt begin till the mid 1800s. This blend tries hard to recreate what she would have been drinking. We feel this is as close as you can get to drinking tea as Jane did. It will pair nicely with any of her iconic books OR any of the books turned into movies: Pride & Prejudice; Emma; Sense & Sensibility; Persuasion, Mansfield Park.

She would have been drinking the same tea for each book she penned over the course of her life.

We hope you will enjoy “Under Lock N Key”- Jane’s Blend. We think it’s so good, that you may not want to share “with anyone less worthy.” ( Mr. Bennett to Lizzy; Pride & Prejudice, 2005)

We’re grateful to Jane Austen for her creativity, courage and fierce independence. She lived her life on her own terms and drank tea every single day.

Net weight: 2oz (57g)

20 classic scoops of tea steeps multiple times.
Roughly 40 cups of tea or 2 gallons of iced tea if you prefer

***This blend is another in our line of historical blends we’ve created including: Lincoln’s Legacy; Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee; Sir Walter Scottish and Charles Dickens Christmas Chai. (Theres more to come!) ***