300 YEARS AND JUST GETTING STARTED!

Twinings of London Celebrates Three Centuries of Tea Expertise

NEW YORK (January 5, 2006) - Twinings North America, Inc. announced today the beginning of its 300th anniversary celebration for the Twinings of London specialty tea brand. From blending and brewing its very first cup of tea in 1706, to the newest Green Tea with Jasmine, Twinings of London has been a leader in tea innovation worldwide for the past 300 years. Along the way, the world's tea experts have helped people in more than 100 countries make the most of a moment by enjoying one of Twinings perfectly blended teas.

Twinings is still going strong today. The company offers a grand total of 198 blends around the world and tea continues to grow in popularity. For its 300th year, Twinings is introducing a number of new products, launching new packaging and celebrating with media events and fun consumer sampling opportunities.

Three Centuries of Leadership

Founded when Thomas Twining purchased the aptly named Tom's Coffee Shop in 1706, few imagined that this was the beginning of a family business that would innovate for centuries and have a major impact on the world's tea consumption. That original London shop is still standing, but little else remains unchanged.

"For the past three centuries, Twinings has influenced social tea drinking and continues to be a leader in the tea industry," said Director of Corporate Relations, Stephen Twining, the 10th generation Twining in the tea business. "We've always made it our policy to focus on high-quality products and innovation to give our customers the best tea-drinking experience possible."

With that world-famous Twinings store at 216 Strand in London in place, the company branched out within the tea world and focused on importing and exporting dry teas. As America became a major consumer, Twinings worked to supply the market.

Among the many Twinings fans in the new world was the Governor of Boston. In fact, it was later specifically noted that Twinings tea was not dumped in the harbor during the famous Boston Tea Party - leaving that for the lesser brands.

The influence of Twinings reached far beyond the consumer; the venerable brand has played a part in politics too. Following the American Revolution, Richard Twining was instrumental in convincing then-Prime Minister William Pitt to lower the level of taxes being levied on teas. He was successful, and the Commutation Act of 1784 made tea affordable for all.

As the leader in tea, Twinings is also the tea for leaders! In 1837, Twinings was granted its first Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria and it currently holds Royal Warrants of Appointment to Her Majesty - The Queen, Her Majesty - The Queen Mother and His Royal Highness - The Prince of Wales.

Never Content to Sit and Steep

Within its 300 years of history, Twinings has survived and thrived because of an unfailing commitment to innovation and leadership. In fact, strong evidence suggests that Twinings was the first company to introduce an Earl Grey blend - designed specifically for the Earl himself. And, while it may seem as though Green tea is sweeping the nation, at Twinings, this is a trend 300 years in-the-making, as a green tea blend was being sold all the way back in 1706.

Mary Little, the second wife of Daniel Twining, took over the company following his death in 1972. At a time when illegally imported tea was flooding the market at substantially reduced prices, she maintained the integrity of the Twinings brand and raised the future generation of Twinings leadership.

To meet increasing demand, Twinings has grown production capacity, and currently operates factories in England, India and China. Quality was always the goal, however, and Twinings was the first tea company ever to win a Queen's Award for Export in 1972 (and again in 1977).

Turning Over a New Tea Leaf

To reflect today's ever-changing lifestyle and tastes of the more and more sophisticated tea drinker, Twinings North America, Inc. currently offers more than 30 regular and decaffeinated specialty tea blends (nearly 200 tea blends worldwide) within the following tea segments:

Classics: Traditional style black teas blended for exceptional flavour.

Origins: The finest teas from the world's best tea growing regions.

Flavoured: Blended black tea with delicious fruit, spices & other flavours.

Green: Light, delicate & refreshing teas that provide a natural source of antioxidants.

Herbal: Pure herbal & fruit blends that are naturally caffeine free.

To celebrate its 300th Anniversary, Twinings will introduce a fine range of new tea blends that will include:

Indian Spiced Chai (Origins)

A rich black tea infused with the flavor of Indian spices including cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger. Based on a centuries-old recipe native to India, Chai is served with milk and is often sweetened to enhance the flavor of the spices. In India, Chai is cherished for producing a warming and soothing effect.v

Citrus Spice Sunset (Herbal)

A masterfully blended combination of ingredients gives this all natural and caffeine free herbal tea a unique and exciting taste. The zest of orange peel is balanced by the sweet character of cinnamon and peppermint. Enjoy the sunset with this well-balanced herbal experience either hot or cold.

African Rooibos Red Tea (Origins)

Authentic Rooibos (pronounced roy-boss) is a naturally caffeine free herbal tea with a distinctive reddish color and a pleasantly sweet flavor that naturally contains antioxidants and minerals. The herbal tea comes only from the Cedarberg Mountains in the remote area of central South Africa and is made from the leaves of the Rooibos plant. The leaves are harvested in summer, fermented and then dried in the sun until they reach a deep mahogany red color.

Cinnamon Apple Breakfast (Flavoured)*

A naturally caffeine free herbal tea with a distinctive reddish color and a pleasantly sweet flavor that naturally contains antioxidants and minerals.

*Will be available in February

New Look and Innovation

With these new flavors comes increased clarity for the consumer, as Twinings has unveiled a completely new package design and graphics. In order to guide consumers to the right tea, with the right flavor and the right strength, the new packaging identifies each blend with the appropriate tea segment -- Classics, Origins, Flavoured, Green or Herbal -- and a flavor descriptor that informs consumers of what they can expect. The packaging also features a user-friendly `tea strength meter' that easily illustrates each tea blend's strength from light to medium or robust to strong flavour.

"The idea of a brand surviving and thriving for 300 years, as an American, is simply staggering," said Marketing Director of Twinings North America, Michael Cobb. "We're celebrating the 300th Anniversary to spotlight the company's tea heritage, quality and innovation and to look forward to another 300 years of tea leadership."

About Twinings North America, Inc.

Since 1706, Twinings tea has been at the forefront of the tea trade, providing rewarding tea moments to consumers around the world. Customers in more than 100 countries enjoy Twinings products. The broad range of Twinings flavors provides a rich selection of black, green and herbal teas available in both teabag and loose tea packages. The black teas and green teas are all rich in antioxidants. Twinings is available across the United States in leading grocery stores, mass merchandisers, specialty stores and online at http://www.twinings.com/.

Twinings North America, Inc. is part of Associated British Foods, an international food, ingredients and retail group. The group is one of Europe's largest food companies with annual sales of £5.2 billion and over 35,000 employees.