the story of tea in shetland
1600
ships in the night
In Shetland’s windswept isles there’s no warmth more familiar than a good cup of tea. In a place where sagas and superstitions have been shared for centuries, countless tales have passed over kettle and spoon...
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Long before tea became a prized enjoyment of the British upper classes, Shetlanders may have already known its pleasure. By the early 1600s the Dutch were founding tea culture in Europe through their East India Company trade routes. On the long voyage home from Asia their great ships often sailed the northern passage to avoid the dangers and tolls of the English Channel.
Shetland’s deep, sheltered harbours offered safe anchorage, fresh water and food after months at sea. In return for supplies or repairs, it is easy to imagine the bartering of tobacco, spices and perhaps a little tea. No written records can confirm this, but the possibility that Shetlanders tasted tea long before English nobility adds a touch of wonder to its long-standing place in island life.
1700
treasure & trade
For centuries the islands had traded with the Hanseatic League, merchants from German ports who came for fish and brought cloth, salt and other goods in return. By the early 1700s their era had passed and local merchant families like the Nicolsons, Hendersons and Giffords rose to the helm. Around 1760 a Lerwick merchant recorded selling “brandy, tea and sugar” to a widow. By 1790 a parish minister observed that tea drinking was “general… even in the poorest families, who will stint themselves in many essential necessaries of life, in order to procure this article of luxury.”
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In the 18th century high taxes on tea, sometimes more than double its value, made it a smuggler’s dream. Lerwick’s lodberries - stone warehouses built into the sea - allowed small boats to glide unseen to their doors and unload cargo straight into storerooms. Beneath the town, a warren of tunnels and cellars hid contraband until the excise man’s back was turned.
Some tea stayed in Shetland to meet high demand, but the isles’ position in the North Sea made them part of a wider illicit network. Fishing often provided the perfect cover. Boats could head to sea for their catch, meet a smuggling vessel offshore, and later land goods at a quiet voe, hidden under nets or in barrels. From these inlets, tea found its way to Orkney, the Scottish mainland and even Scandinavia.
18-1900
a shared warmth
By the 19th century tea had moved from luxury to necessity. In the truck trade, a system where workers were paid partly or wholly in goods rather than coin, fishing and knitting families often received tea alongside flour and sugar. Across Shetland’s famous industries, from crofting and fishing to knitwear and lace, tea brought pause, comfort and connection. By pier or peat fire, in long winters or after a hard day at sea, it gave vigour and vitality - a shared warmth in the hands of company and loved ones.
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That tradition lives on today. In village halls, Sunday Teas bring together tables piled high with cakes, bannocks and fancies, served alongside a procession of cups poured for friends and visitors alike. With cheeks pinked by salty winds, that first sip still carries the same promise it always has in Shetland – you are warmly welcome here.
Storied still
shetland tea merchants
At Shetland Tea Merchants we honour this heritage, sourcing the finest botanicals and teas from Assam, Ceylon, Fujian and beyond. Our Shetland Breakfast Blend has been especially crafted for Shetland’s pure, soft, peat-filtered waters.
Every cup carries a taste of the journey, from the first billowing ships on the morning horizon to the island homes and hearths where tea still pours today.