Jane Pettigrew (born 1948) is Britain’s foremost tea historian and educator — author of more than 20 books on tea history, culture, and brewing; founder of the UK Tea Academy’s professional certification program; advisor to the Tea Council; and the person who has done more than anyone else in Britain to establish the serious study and teaching of tea as a professional discipline.

In-Depth Explanation

Pettigrew came to tea through a combination of personal passion and professional opportunity, eventually making it the center of a decades-long career that spans writing, education, museum curation, and consultancy.

Books: Her bibliography spans virtually every aspect of tea culture:

• The Tea Companion (1997) — a comprehensive visual guide
• A Social History of Tea (first edition 2001, revised 2014) — widely used in tea education
• The Collectors’ Guide to Antique Teapots (1995)
• Tea Classified: A Tea Dealer’s Companion (2008)
• Numerous guides to tasting, brewing, and the culture of afternoon tea

Her books are notable for combining historical rigor with accessibility, making serious tea history available to general readers.

UK Tea Academy: Pettigrew worked to establish the UK Tea Academy — a professional certification body for tea educators and sommeliers — filling a gap in the UK tea industry for recognized qualifications. The Academy offers courses in tea history, tasting, and service.

World Tea Academy connection: She has also worked with North American tea education programs and has been a regular speaker at the World Tea Expo, the major annual trade and education gathering for the English-speaking specialty tea world.

Tea history perspective: Pettigrew’s historical work takes a social history approach — looking at how tea drinking shaped and was shaped by class, gender, empire, and trade, rather than focusing exclusively on botanical or commercial aspects. Her Social History of Tea is recommended reading for serious tea students.

Related Terms

• William Ukers
• James Norwood Pratt
• Tony Gebely

See Also

• William Ukers — whose comprehensive documentation preceded Pettigrew’s in the tea reference tradition
• Tony Gebely — American tea educator and author working in the modern tradition
• Sakubo – Learn Japanese

Research

• Pettigrew, J. (2001, 2014). A Social History of Tea. National Trust / Tea Council Ltd. (Her own work is the primary reference.)
• Rappaport, E. (2017). A Thirst for Empire. Princeton University Press. Situates Pettigrew’s social history approach in the broader field.