At the Tea Table: The Making of a National Drink

Developed in collaboration with the Bank of England Museum, the exhibition explored how tea evolved from a rare imported commodity into a defining part of British social and cultural life, revealing the global trade, colonial histories and domestic rituals behind tea drinking in Britain.

The exhibition was arranged as a continuous tablescape, inviting visitors into intimate encounters with the objects and stories held within the collection. Large-scale contextual imagery and flowing table graphics inspired by tea as liquid subtly evoke maritime trade routes, movement and exchange.

Across ten themes, the exhibition traced the rise of the tea trade in Europe, the pivotal role of the East India Company, and how a commercial enterprise gave way to imperial expansion, conflict and violence. At the same time, it considered how tea shaped British culture, design and technical innovation.

Curator: Grace Benham
Associate Curator: Evelyn Earl
Graphic Production: N3 Display
Setworks Fabrication: Full Scale Production
Photography: Bound