Red Rose Tea is a Canadian-based tea company owned by Lipton Teas and Infusions. It was established by Theodore Harding Estabrooks in 1890 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.[1] Estabrooks began his career in trade imports and exports, and soon moved specifically to the tea trade. Realizing the inconsistency in loose leaf servings, Estabrooks began packaging his tea leaves into single-serving bags to ensure quality and consistency in every teacup.[2]
Red Rose's older advertisements introduced the catchphrase, "Only in Canada, you say? Pity..." (The catchphrase was sometimes transformed in television commercials[3] and Canadian popular culture to, "Only in Canada, eh? Pity...") However, as their brand expanded, these slogans became less relevant to their market audience. Instead, they opted for more general slogans such as: "Red Rose Tea is Good Tea." and "A cup'll do you good."[4]
Estabrooks retired in 1932 and sold the company to Brooke, Bond & Company in England who opened a second branch in Montreal.