One of the main ways in which people came into contact with the impact of the British Empire was through foodstuffs directly imported to Britian from territories colonised by the Empire. Two of these foodstuffs include tea and coffee. Tea originally came into Britain via the notorious East India Company, who held the monopoly on all trade from the East. By the 18th century tea had become their most important cargo and by the mid-18th century they were importing over 4.5 million tons per year. Workhouse bills in the museum’s collection show how a product shipped across the globe could become a staple in even the mostly humble of settings and tea, once a luxury item, had become so engrained in British society that it was deemed an essential, even for the destitute. Illustrations and advertising wording on tea tins also reveal how Empire was proudly displayed with one tin stating that their tea was “grown throughout and brought by Empire ships.” Many tea companies owned plantations in colonised lands.

The transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans played a critical role in shaping the existing coffee industry. Coffee began to make its mark in Britina in the 18th century, with demand for coffee overlapping the increasing demand for sugar. Coffee was transported from plantations across the Caribbean and America, using enslaved labour from Africa, where those enslaved endured brutal conditions. The demand for coffee lead to the increase of ersatz coffees during wartime of rationing, where transatlantic trade was reduced. Products such as Lyon’s Coffee and Chicory Extract, introduced in 1921 and offering an economical way for ordinary people to drink coffee, were classed as a moral booster in World War Two by the Ministry of Food.