160 Average Contents. In the 1930 PG Tips was launched in the UK as a loose leaf tea in soft packs. It was originally called Pre-Gest-Tee but was soon abbreviated by grocers and van salesmen to PG. The company adopted this as the official name and added Tips to highlight that PG takes the top two leaves and a bud to make its tea. The 40s saw Britain at war. Food rationing underlined the hardship and as people sought comfort, thousand upon thousand of cups of PG were drunk by civilians and the armed forces. The 1950s was the decade of the famous Matthews Final which saw Stanley Matthews' team, Blackpool, recover from 3-1 down to win 4-3 in the 1953 FA Cup Final. Footballers were paid nothing like the amounts they earn today and the half-time cuppa was seen as a valuable bonus. The big news in the early 60s was the introduction of the PG tea bag. A stunned nation grappled with the new-fangled way of making their favourite brew, but it caught on quickly and there were reports of mass hysteria. Other News: A pop group called The Beatles had a few hit records. By the mid 1970s tea bags now had a firm grip on the tea drinking masses and they rapidly became more popular than loose leaf tea. During the 80s Boy George, the Karma Chameleon himself, made the news when he claimed the he'd rather have a pot of tea than go to bed. To drinkers of PG this was an understandable reaction! During the 90s PG launched the revolutionary pyramid tea bag. With more space inside it acts like a miniature teapot, giving the leaves more room to move. In 2005 PG Tips celebrated its 75th anniversary. Seven and a half decades that have seen Britain change beyond recognition, but one thing remains the same - our love of the PG cuppa.