Now here we have a very unusual advertising postcard for the Co-Operative Wholesale Company`s London Tea Department. It is very reminiscent of their card set, "Co-Operative Buildings and Works" issued in 1914, and indeed this same building, the "C.W.S. Tea Department, London" is in that set, though a slightly different view that being to the side and this being to the front. This card is also slightly lighter and better delineated, but then of course that could be caused by having to reduce the original artwork to fit on a tiny cigarette card, rather than a larger postcard.
I wonder if any other cards from that set can also be found as postcards?
Sadly this lovely building which was in Leman Street, has been demolished. It was a replacement for the first Tea Department, of 1882, which was occupied by the English and Scottish C.W.S., and was really too small a building, though it did have the benefit of being already owned by the C.W.S.
The new building was on specially bought land at the conjunction of Leman Street and Great Prescott Street, which was being used as housing at the time of purchase in 1886 - and it was almost certainly selected because it was directly opposite the London Branch HQ. The building was specially built in a similar style to that HQ, and designed to house both tea blending and packaging. The floors were originally planned to be open, with no rooms or partitions in between; however this was disallowed, almost certainly due to fire risk. But after some delays, and disagreements, it opened in 1897.
I will not elaborate this because I have just found a great website which tells you all you will ever need to know - the link is SurveyOfLondon/Lemans