Ringtons has been blending the freshest tea and coffee for more than 100 years and boasts close links to Leeds. It was founded by city-born Samuel Smith with an initial £250 investment from his then business partner William Titterington. He managed to keep the business going through the two World Wars moving from horse drawn vans to motorised vehicles. The business delivers nowadays to more than 220,000,000 households across Britain. These images, plucked from the YEP archive and others published courtesy of photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service, tell the story of its links to Leeds. READ MORE: Made in Leeds - The rise and fall of the Scootacar LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook
2. Ringtons
Sam Smith moved to the Newcastle upon Tyne in 1907 and began selling tea from his horse and cart. Photo: YPN
3. Ringtons
In the 1930s Sam went back to Leeds and built a brand new Ringtons factory on the site of his former home. Photo: Matthew Page
4. Ringtons
The warehouse was on Ladypit Lane, off Tempest Road in Beeston. Photo: Matthew Page
6. Ringtons
The building still stands today as the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha temple serving the Sikh community of Leeds. Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net