On May 21st, we celebrate International Tea Day, a day to raise extra awareness and appreciation for tea, and the craft, care, and dedication that go into every cup. In this article, written by Ron Guleij, Collection Specialist at the Dutch National Archives, we take a journey 70 years back in time to see how tea awareness was promoted in the Netherlands—home to Van Rees’ headquarters.
Before the Second World War, strong tea was commonly drunk in the Netherlands. As a result of the occupation years, during which people were forced to drink weak tea or tea substitutes, a shift in taste had occurred. Market research had clearly shown that the public had grown to appreciate weaker tea, and that tea consumption had declined significantly. Nevertheless, the Netherlands still remained the largest tea consumer on the European mainland per capita, with an annual use of about 700 grams. But in England, the ultimate tea-drinking country, five times as much tea was consumed. These figures served as an example for a campaign to be launched. The Netherlands had to move closer to the tea consumption levels of England. To achieve that, consumers first had to be re-taught how to brew strong (and tasty) tea — the idea being that higher consumption would follow naturally.
Organised tea propaganda had already existed for some time in both the Dutch East Indies and the Netherlands. Even before the Second World War, there was a so-called Committee for Tea Propaganda. On 25 November 1947, the Tea Advisory Bureau Foundation (Europe), based in Amsterdam, was established. Its goal: “To promote the consumption of tea in the broadest sense on the mainland of Europe.”
In 1953, India, Ceylon, and Indonesia, together with the Tea Association of the United States of America Incorporated, founded the Tea Council in New York. The idea behind this setup was that propaganda would be most effective when tea producers and tea packers worked together. The Tea Council of the USA aimed to stimulate tea consumption through market research, advertising, and other means. In America — a country where tea drinking was still in its infancy — campaigns had already proven effective. The Tea Council of the United States of America operated with an annual budget of one and a half million dollars.
A similar collaboration was launched in the Netherlands on 1 July 1954 with the establishment of the Dutch Tea Bureau Foundation, based in Amsterdam. The goal of the foundation was to promote tea consumption in the Netherlands. Profit was not the aim; the Tea Bureau had no permanent staff, so that most of the funding could go towards the promotional campaign.
The funders behind the Dutch campaign, united in the Dutch Tea Bureau Foundation, were the governments of Indonesia, India, and Ceylon, as well as the Union of Coffee Roasters and Tea Packers. Together, they provided an initial annual budget of 200,000 guilders, which later increased to 300,000 guilders. In 1956, the first funds from these collaborating interest groups were allocated to put the proposed plans into action.
The specially established Technical Committee for Collective Tea Promotion presented a series of recommendations for a national campaign to the board of the Dutch Tea Bureau Foundation in February 1954. The committee observed that tea consumption in the Netherlands — with the exception of the provinces of Brabant and Limburg — was widespread. It also concluded that, although consumers believed they understood tea and how to brew it, in reality, much could be improved in terms of brewing and consumption habits.
The committee advised that the campaign should first focus on the proper preparation of tea (better brewing), rather than on increasing overall tea consumption. The latter remained the ultimate goal, but should not be presented too explicitly in the campaign. The advice was to proceed with caution. Consumers should not get the impression that the campaign was designed to extract money from their wallets, but rather that informative guidance would lead to tastier tea — which would in turn result in a preference for stronger tea, and ultimately, greater consumption.
The campaign started in 1956 and consisted of a national advertising campaign and a regional campaign involving the so-called “Tea Taster” and “Tea Duels”.
In the national campaign, the public was introduced to the Five Golden Tea Rules, which aimed to improve tea preparation. The campaign also featured a stamp collecting competition, the Tea Rule Contest, and introduced a special tea measuring spoon. Public interest turned out to be extraordinary, and the campaign ran until the end of 1956. In the end, more than one and a half million entries were submitted. It would become the largest stamp collection campaign ever held in the Netherlands.
The Tea Rule Contest was supported by national newspaper advertisements, with participation from none other than film stars Shirley Yamaguchi and Marilyn Monroe. Dutch figures such as well-known radio cooking teacher Mrs. Lotgering-Hillebrand, football legend Abe Lenstra (ball control meets tea control), and couture expert Mrs. Idea de Leeuw van Rees also took part. The campaign budget — approximately 1 million euros per year in today’s money — was largely spent on national promotion.
Locally, the character of the Tea Taster was created — specially trained individuals who visited households within designated areas to check whether tea was being prepared according to the Five Golden Tea Rules. Another regional activity involved organised tea brewing competitions. In 1956 alone, a total of 149 such competitions were held, attended by no fewer than 23,271 women and girls.
The press described these tea duels as a new form of popular entertainment. Clearly, in the post-war reconstruction era, entertainment wasn’t readily available. In 1957, the campaign continued on television, which at the time in the Netherlands was still non-commercial.
A national Tea Brewing Champion was selected on television. In 1958, Tea Talent competitions were introduced as a prelude to the tea brewing contests. Participants who impressed the jury and audience with recitations, singing, or music performances could advance to the second round: tea brewing. A kind of early Holland’s Got Talent.
The tea duels were even noticed beyond Dutch borders. Tea boards in Germany and the United States expressed interest in organising similar competitions in their own countries. Through the retail sector — with over 20,000 points of sale — thousands of tea measuring spoons were distributed to the public (for a small fee).
The Netherlands Foundation for Statistics conducted annual research into the results of the campaign and pointed out its positive effects, particularly among the target group of housewives, who genuinely began brewing stronger tea. A written survey in January 1958 among 1,000 households that had received the new tea measure showed that 80% of them used it regularly. In June 1958, it was found that the campaign had the most impact among housewives in higher income classes, women in the northern Netherlands, and readers of major women’s magazines. Another important outcome was that the Dutch press began writing more about tea and proper brewing techniques. Retailers cooperated extensively, though no sales figures were collected.
In 1959, the Dutch Tea Bureau was dissolved. After three years, the effect of the campaign had faded. On top of that, Indonesia stopped its (significant) financial contributions. A question that arises now, 70 years later: how much of the Five Golden Tea Rules has remained in Dutch tea culture?
The Five Golden Tea Rules
- Pre-warm the teapot by rinsing it with hot water
- Add at least one level scoop of tea per cup into the pot
- Use fresh water, and pour it in one go as soon as it boils
- Let steep for 5–7 minutes
- Stir before pouring. Add sugar for aroma and milk for a milder taste
Note: Soap is the enemy of tea. Clean your teapot with pure water only!
Translating these ads from left to right:
- Unpleasant to have to say “no” – When you’re visiting acquaintances for tea, it’s awkward to have to say “no, thank you” to the first cup. How much nicer it is when you can say “yes, I’d love a cup!”? Because you know it: watery tea brings no coziness! Always keep in mind: Less water makes tastier tea!
- The whole house was turned upside down – Seriously upset because of a poorly cleaned teacup – those annoying tea particles floating in the cup. Bad taste, weak aroma, weak tea – goodbye coziness! What a terrible experience! And all because too much water ruined the tea’s strength and spoiled the moment. So here’s the simple remedy: Less water makes tastier tea!
- Just imagine if you had a MARINA… Then the boats would be floating nicely. That’s how much water you’re pouring into your teacup. But the tea loses all its flavor. The coziness gets drowned. At home it’s different. You know it: Less water makes tastier tea!
- Imagine if you had a POND… Then you could open the tap without worry. But now… you’re pouring too much water. The tea becomes watery and bland. The coziness gets drowned. You’ve had good tea somewhere before – strong cups that were full of flavor. At home, it can be the same. You know it: Less water makes tastier tea!
- Imagine if you had a SWIMMING POOL… Then the amount of water wouldn’t matter so much. But now, you’re adding way too much. And that drowns the coziness. You’ve had those good cups before – tea at the neighbors’, where every cup was packed with flavor. It’s the same at home. You know it: Less water makes tastier tea!
Written by: Ron Guleij, Collection Specialist at the Dutch National Archives (Nationaal Archief).
Pictures: Dutch National Archives, Archive of the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij, and Archive of the Federation of Associations of Mountain Plantation Enterprises.
