There is a certain kind of magic that happens when you hold a warm cup of tea in your hands. The steam rises. The aroma settles you. For a moment, the world slows down. This simple joy is something tea lovers everywhere understand, no matter where they live or what language they speak. It is this quiet, universal joy that sits at the very heart of JANAT Paris, a tea house with a story that began over 150 years ago, in the heart of France.

If you have ever wondered what makes JANAT different from the countless tea brands on store shelves today, the answer lies in its history. This is not a brand that was built overnight by a marketing team. It is a living story, carried forward from 1872, shaped by real people, real journeys, and a real love for tea that has never faded. Today, we invite you to sit back, pour yourself a cup, and read the story behind JANAT Paris.

A Journey That Began in 1872

Our story starts with a man named Janat Dores, an adventurous French merchant with a deep curiosity for the world beyond his home. In 1872, long before international travel was easy or common, Janat Dores set out from the port of Marseille on a journey that would take him across oceans, to distant lands rich with spices, cocoa, coffee, and of course, tea.

This was not a short trip. In those days, travel by sea took months, and there was no way to send a quick message home. Communication as we know it today simply did not exist. When Janat Dores left on his voyages, his loved ones had no way of knowing exactly when he would return. Yet, in a story that has become part of JANAT’s identity, his two beloved cats, Sam and Beau, always seemed to sense the day he was coming home. They would wait by the door, as if they simply knew. Over time, these two cats became more than pets. They became a symbol of loyalty, patience, and good fortune, an emblem that JANAT still carries with pride today.

When Janat Dores finally returned from his travels, he brought back with him something special: a deep understanding of tea, gathered from the very regions where the finest leaves grow. With this knowledge, and a genuine passion for quality, he founded the JANAT Paris Tea House in 1872, right in the heart of Paris. It was here, in a small shop on rue des Entrepreneurs, that a simple idea took root: that tea should be honest, flavourful, and made with care, from the moment it is picked to the moment it is poured.

That original shop location holds a special place in JANAT’s heart. Even today, the JANAT tea shop stands in the very same neighbourhood where Mr. Dores once had his office, a quiet reminder that some things are worth holding on to.

A Friendship That Changed Everything: The Eiffel Tower Connection

Every great story has a defining moment, and for JANAT Paris, that moment arrived in 1889. This was the year of the Paris Universal Exposition, a grand celebration meant to showcase the very best of French innovation and creativity to the entire world. It was also the year the Eiffel Tower opened its doors for the very first time.

By this point, Janat Dores had built a friendship with none other than Gustave Eiffel, the engineer whose name would soon become known across the globe. The two shared something in common: a spirit of innovation, a willingness to try new things, and a belief that craftsmanship mattered. Out of this friendship came something truly unique. Together, they created what became known as the French Oak Tea, a tea aged inside oak barrels, giving it a warm, distinctive flavour that had never been tasted before.

This French Oak Tea was served at the opening of the Eiffel Tower in 1889, making JANAT part of one of the most celebrated moments in French history. It also marked something else: the creation of the world’s first oak barrel–aged tea, a method of ageing tea leaves in French oak casks to bring out richer, more complex flavours. Even now, this remains one of JANAT’s most treasured signatures, a tea that carries within it a small piece of history in every sip.

To this day, JANAT’s family still holds onto a part of the original Eiffel Tower’s spiral staircase, a quiet, treasured connection to that unforgettable year. For a brand that has crossed so many decades, this piece of history is not just a decoration. It is proof that JANAT’s roots run deep, straight into the very foundations of Paris itself.

The Legend of the Lucky Cats

We mentioned Sam and Beau earlier, but their story deserves a little more time, because it says so much about what JANAT stands for even now.

According to Janat Dores himself, the loyalty of his two cats stirred his imagination. He often spoke about how their patience and devotion inspired him to keep pushing forward with new ideas, even when the road ahead was uncertain. In his own words, the loyalty of his cats reflected the same loyalty he wanted to offer his customers: a promise that JANAT would always be there, dependable and true, cup after cup.

Over the years, Sam and Beau became more than a sweet story passed down through generations. They became a symbol of good fortune. Many customers, both in France and in Japan, consider these two lucky cats a charm for happiness and good luck. You will still find them woven into JANAT’s identity today, a gentle reminder that behind every great brand, there is often a very human, very heartfelt story.

A New Chapter: The Gozen Family and a Legacy of Kindness

Every long story has different chapters, and JANAT’s next chapter brought the brand even closer to the world of tea itself. Today, JANAT Paris is guided by Machiko Gozen, a woman whose family has been growing organic green tea in Kagoshima, Japan, for more than 400 years. For the past 40 years, the family has also cultivated tea in Ceylon, known today as Sri Lanka, one of the most respected tea-growing regions in the world.

This connection matters deeply. It means that JANAT is not simply a company that buys tea from suppliers. It is a family that has spent centuries learning the art of growing tea the right way, understanding the soil, the seasons, and the delicate process that turns a simple leaf into something worth savouring.

Under this leadership, JANAT has grown into a brand with tea bag factories in Japan, Sri Lanka, and France, along with a global logistics presence that allows tea lovers around the world, from Paris to Tokyo, from Dubai to beyond, to enjoy the same quality that Janat Dores first brought home in 1872.

But growth was never the only goal. At the centre of this new chapter is a mission close to the heart: kindness. JANAT’s guiding purpose today is simple and sincere, to bring a little more kindness and empathy into the world, one cup at a time.

Handpicked with Care: The People Behind Every Cup

There is something quietly beautiful about tea. Before it ever reaches your cup, it has passed through the hands of real people, often women, working carefully in tea gardens under the sun. JANAT has never forgotten this.

JANAT Paris works closely with Sri Lankan tea gardens, where handpicking is done by skilled women who understand exactly which leaves are ready and which need more time. This is not a rushed process. It is a craft, passed down and practised with patience. The leaves are grown without pesticides, kept as natural as possible, and then processed using precise Japanese machinery, a careful balance between traditional handpicking and modern quality standards.

This attention to detail is not just about taste, though the taste certainly benefits. It is also about respect, respect for the land, for the tradition of tea growing, and most importantly, for the people who make it all possible.

Through a meaningful partnership with the organisation Femmes du Monde, meaning Women of the World, JANAT supports over 1,000 women in Sri Lanka. This partnership goes beyond simply offering fair work. It focuses on improving access to education, healthcare, and better working conditions, helping to raise the value and voice of women within their communities. When you choose a cup of JANAT tea, you are, in a small but real way, choosing to support this circle of women whose hands helped bring that tea to life.

Tea for Two: A Simple Way to Share Kindness

JANAT believes that tea was never meant to be enjoyed alone. It is a drink for sharing, for pausing together, for connection. This belief led to the creation of the “Tea for Two” initiative, a simple but meaningful idea: for every tea sold, a free cup of tea is offered to someone else.

It is a small gesture, but it carries a big message. In a fast-moving world, JANAT wants every cup to be an invitation, a reminder to slow down, to be kind, and to share a moment with someone else. This spirit of generosity is woven into everything the brand does, echoing the same warmth that Janat Dores brought back from his travels all those years ago.

A Tea House Recognised Around the World

While JANAT’s story is deeply rooted in tradition, it has never stood still. Over the decades, the brand has earned recognition on the world stage. Its teas have received awards at international tea expos, including gold medal honours for its classic Heritage series, which features favourites like Darjeeling, Earl Grey, and Ceylon tea. The brand’s French Oak Tea remains a true signature, celebrated as the world’s first and only tea aged in oak barrels, a flavour experience unlike anything else on the market.

JANAT has also become one of the most recognised tea brands in Japan, where it holds a strong place among imported teas by volume. From its original Paris tea shop to its presence in Tokyo, and its reach into markets like Dubai and Bahrain, JANAT has managed to do something rare: it has grown internationally while still feeling personal, still feeling like the same small tea house Janat Dores opened back in 1872.

Beyond its teas, JANAT has also become known for imaginative collaborations and public celebrations, from tea stations inspired by the Eiffel Tower to appearances at major international expos, always carrying forward the same spirit of curiosity and craftsmanship that defined its very first days.

Why This Story Matters to Tea Lovers Everywhere

You might be wondering why any of this matters to you, sitting wherever you are in the world, simply looking for a good cup of tea. The truth is, this story matters because it is the story of tea itself.

Tea has always been about more than flavour. It is about patience, waiting for leaves to grow, waiting for water to steep, waiting for a moment of quiet in a busy day. It is about connection, the kind that happens when two people share a pot of tea and a conversation. It is about care, the kind shown by the hands that pick each leaf and the families who have passed down that knowledge for generations.

JANAT Paris carries all of this within every blend. When you choose a cup of JANAT tea, you are not just choosing a drink. You are choosing a story that began with one man’s curiosity, grew through an unforgettable friendship with Gustave Eiffel, was shaped by the loyalty of two small cats, and continues today through a family devoted to kindness, quality, and the wellbeing of the women who help bring each cup to life.

This is what makes JANAT more than a tea brand. It is a tea house, in the truest, oldest sense of the word, a place built on gathering, sharing, and warmth. And whether you are enjoying a cup in Paris, Tokyo, Dubai, or anywhere else in the world, you become part of that same story, a story that has been quietly growing, one cup at a time, since 1872.

A Story Still Being Written

Perhaps the most beautiful part of JANAT’s story is that it is not finished. Every new tea garden, every new cup shared, every act of kindness through initiatives like Tea for Two, adds another small chapter to a legacy that began over 150 years ago. Janat Dores could never have imagined, as he set sail from Marseille in 1872, that his love for tea would one day reach tea lovers across continents. Yet here we are, still gathered around the same idea he believed in: that tea, made with honesty and shared with kindness, has the power to bring people together.

So the next time you sit down with a cup of JANAT tea, take a moment before your first sip. Think of the ships that once carried tea leaves across oceans, the friendship that shaped a tea served beneath the Eiffel Tower, the two loyal cats waiting patiently by a door, and the hands in Sri Lanka that picked your leaves with care. This is the story behind JANAT Paris, a tea house since 1872, and we are so glad to share it with you, one warm cup at a time.