Warren Ford
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Warren Lionel Ford (16 May 1933 – 21 June 2023) was a British tea researcher.
Biography
[edit]Born in Lewisham, South London, he was the only child of Arthur Ford, a Prudential Insurance manager, and Hilda Hook, a pianist trained at the Royal Academy of Music.[1][2] Ford attended Mercers' School but left at the age of sixteen.[1][2]
After leaving school, Ford began an apprenticeship with Joseph Tetley & Co in the coffee department but soon shifted his focus to tea.[1][2] His early career included a year in Sri Lanka and three years in Calcutta working in Tetley's tea-buying offices.[1] By 1952, he was back in London, participating in tea auctions, a practice established since the early 1700s.[1] In 1953, Ford was involved in introducing mass-manufactured teabags in the UK and was appointed head of Tetley's blending department.[1][2]
Following Tetley's acquisition by J Lyons and Co in 1973, Ford became an independent tea buyer and consultant, operating from a warehouse in the East End and offices on Great Portland Street.[1][2] He worked as a broker and buyer for smaller manufacturers and merchants.[1][2]
Ford later joined Taylors of Harrogate as a consultant and was appointed a director in 1976 while continuing his role as an independent buyer.[1][2] In the 1990s, he resumed producing his own tea and remained involved with Yorkshire Tea, providing mentorship to upcoming tea buyers.[1] He was associated with Yorkshire Tea for nearly fifty years. He died on June 21, 2023, following complications from surgery for a broken hip.[1]
Personal life
[edit]In 1957, Ford married Gill West, and they had two sons, Kevin and Graham.[1] The marriage ended in divorce, and in 1998, he met Judy Mahoney, a primary schoolteacher.[2] They married in 2005.[1]