We love it when our client’s packaging gets featured in the news! This recent Design Focus article in The Packaging Gazette featured Whittard’s tea caddies and analysed the ways in which their design and packaging convey heritage and longevity. Reviewed by Howard Wright and Neil Farmer, the packaging was praised for feeling luxurious and exclusive, while still retaining a strong connection to British tea heritage that made it feel familiar and accessible.
Conveying Exclusivity & Heritage in Packaging
The Century of Tea collection at Whittard’s was designed to celebrate both the history of the brand and the rich story of tea itself. The collection includes one hundred distinctive tea blends from around the world, from classics such as Assam, Ceylon and Darjeeling to more unusual blends including Keemun, Petit Macaron and Cucumber Mint.
Packaging the collection in traditional tea caddies was a deliberate way to reflect both the exclusivity of the range and the heritage behind it. A beautifully designed tea caddy gives the customer something lasting to take away — not just packaging, but an object they can enjoy, display and continue to use long after the tea itself has gone. That is part of what makes keepsake packaging so effective: it extends the life of the brand in the home.
In this case, the tea caddies help turn the product into more of an experience. They feel considered, premium and giftable, while also reinforcing the story Whittard wanted to tell through the collection.
The History of the Tea Caddy
The word ‘caddy’ may originate from the traditional Chinese unit of weight, ‘catty’ (斤), which was used to measure food in markets. China is, of course, the birthplace of tea. One old Chinese legend tells of tea being discovered when leaves drifted into hot water being drunk by Emperor Shennong. Trade with China eventually brought tea to Europe via the Middle East, Portugal and the Netherlands, before it began appearing in English coffeehouses during the 1650s.
Until the early 19th century, the English word for a tea caddy would more commonly have been canister. Early examples brought to England from China were often made from porcelain, with blue and white designs that would have taken pride of place in Georgian homes.
Over time, wooden tea caddies became more common. Fine woods such as mahogany and rosewood were widely used, often paired with intricate carvings and decorative silver or ivory detailing. The tea caddy became a status symbol, associated with wealth, taste and social ritual. Taking tea became an important part of domestic and social life, particularly during the Victorian period.
As tea became more widely available and affordable, these luxury caddies became less common. That is one of the reasons Whittard’s collection feels so distinctive — it reintroduces that sense of occasion through packaging that is made to be valued and kept.
What the Packaging Designers Thought
Packaging Gazette praised Whittard’s tea caddies, noting that they are “obviously made to be kept”, which adds significantly to their appeal. The judges described them as “superior, elegant and very prestigious”, while also recognising that the familiarity of the tea caddy format made them approachable rather than intimidating.
Howard Wright felt the caddies would serve as a strong “ambassador” for the Whittard brand. That is an important point in packaging design. The texture, tone, shape and finish of a pack all influence how people perceive a product before they even try it. In this case, the caddies communicate quality from the first glance.
These cylindrical tea caddies also help Whittard stand apart from competitors. They offer more than quality tea alone; they offer heritage, presentation and a sense of permanence. Their design nods to the early history of tea, evoking warmth, nostalgia and a more traditional tea-drinking experience.
Overall, the considered use of colour, embossing and quality materials turns the packaging into a keepsake — something designed not to be thrown away, but to be treasured, displayed and reused in the home.
Read more about Whittard’s caddies in this Packaging Gazette article:
http://flickread.com/edition/html/56efd560436d8#32
Get in touch with us if you want to find out how keepsake packaging can work for you.
