Colourful T2 Store Colourful T2 Store Colourful T2 Store Colourful T2 Store

T2 History

At T2, we’re about reinventing and reimagining the humble tea leaf, and sharing our teas with anyone who’ll listen.

We’re inspired by the people we meet, and the far-flung places we visit. We get a kick out of taking ancient tea rituals and reimagining them, bringing them to a modern tea table. Every cup we brew is a chance to make tea more enjoyable, more accessible and more experimental; it’s our opportunity to connect, understand and share with the world our love for a better cup of tea, everyday.

We’re inspired by the people we meet, and the far-flung places we visit. We get a kick out of taking ancient tea rituals and reimagining them, bringing them to a modern tea table. Every cup we brew is a chance to make tea more enjoyable, more accessible and more experimental; it’s our opportunity to connect, understand and share with the world our love for a better cup of tea, everyday.

Close up detail of T2 tea on a wooden shelf Close up detail of T2 tea on a wooden shelf Close up detail of T2 tea on a wooden shelf
1996

Our first store opens in Fitzroy, Melbourne. A tea revolution begins.

Imagine pink ceilings, towering displays of tea and teawares, and Chinese newspaper covering the walls. Tea fuelled our conversations with all kinds of people; it was a chance to learn about them, and in turn tell them something about ourselves. We were intrigued by those who walked through our doors; backpackers, artists, hippies, students and musicians all inspired our outlook on both tea and life.

Portrait of a lady in a head scarf drinking tea Portrait of a lady in a head scarf drinking tea Portrait of a lady in a head scarf drinking tea
1997–1999

Tea lovers delight over our adventurous in-store theatrics.

Towards the end of 1999, we launched our second store in Chadstone, Melbourne. It was an instant success, with curious souls keen to see what we’d brewed up. By Christmas that year both T2 stores sold out of stock, with customers still thirsty for more.

2000–2001

Our fascination with tea blending and experimentation grows.

We brought our sense of adventure into our store experience, and encouraged our visitors to play, discover, and experiment with us.

Colourful T2 Products on a dark background Colourful T2 Products on a dark background Colourful T2 Products on a dark background
2002–2003

The tea revolution continues.

We hit our stride with our tea knowledge and expertise, and our unending desire to discover, create and share our tea knowledge made us the go-to for tea in Australia. With the launch of T2 wholesale, more and more T2 teas began popping up on some of the best menus around Australia.

Flowers growing out of the spout of a teapot Flowers growing out of the spout of a teapot Flowers growing out of the spout of a teapot
2004–2005

We share our love of tea through storytelling and creating immersive experiences.

Campaigns were the perfect way to share our latest product discoveries and tea knowledge. Word of our one-of-a-kind teas and teawares continued to spread, and more and more T2 stores flung open their doors, eager to get brewing. We also hit the digital marketplace, launching the T2 website.

Colourful teapots with flowers and tea arranged sporadically on a table top Colourful teapots with flowers and tea arranged sporadically on a table top
2006-2008

We take things back to the drawing board to come up with exciting new twists on the humble leaf.

Colourful teapots with flowers and tea arranged sporadically on a table top
Stack of colourful tea pots, tea cups, flowers and tea leaves on a table
Lots of black tea pots and tea cups on a table

After trailblazing with a stream of successful stores, it was time to do a little soul-searching. We expanded our behind-the-scenes team and revelled in the chance to reinvent and rethink the humble tea leaf yet again. We looked to ancient ceremonies and approaches to tea drinking, and sought ways to recreate them. We couldn’t help opening a few more stores to the tea loving masses, though, with Canberra, QLD and WA welcoming T2 to their afternoon tea tables.

T2 store front T2 store front T2 store front
2010–2013

A hive of curiosity, innovation, and experimentation.

2014–2015

Taking tea to the world.

We took our unique take on tea to the world, and sought quirky spots across the pond to fuel and inspire our sense of curiosity and creativity. Places like Shoreditch, Soho and Brooklyn make our hearts pound, intriguing us with their vibrant mix of cultures.

Small stack of T2 tea cups, t2 products sitting inside a coconut shell Small stack of T2 tea cups, t2 products sitting inside a coconut shell Small stack of T2 tea cups, t2 products sitting inside a coconut shell
2017

Hello, Singapore!

We kicked off the year by opening our very first store in Singapore! Our plans to bring T2 to tea lovers all over the globe had us thirsty for a store in Asia – and Singapore felt like the milk to our English Breakfast! We celebrated by launching a brand new tea, Singapore Breakfast. Think tasty black and green tea combined with coconut and pandan – it’s like kaya toast in a cup!

Tea being poured into a tasting cup from a T2 brew jug Tea being poured into a tasting cup from a T2 brew jug Tea being poured into a tasting cup from a T2 brew jug
2019-2020

Your favourite tea became B Corp certified

In 2020 we proudly joined a global community of over 3,000 companies doing business that puts people and planet first.

Being a B Corp organization means we’re now part of a global movement intent on redefining success in business by challenging companies to be the best in the world and do the best for the world.

Laptop on a desk showing the T2 website Laptop on a desk showing the T2 website Laptop on a desk showing the T2 website
2021

Putting our customers first

After the year that 2020 was, we took the chance to rethink and reinvent the way we do our online business. In 2021 we launched our brand-new website, improving the online journey for our customers and continuing to turn the world of tea on its head.