From this September, bright orange boxes of Lifeboat Tea will appear in Waitrose stores nationwide, in an RNLI initiative to raise £200,000. The tea, pure Kenyan black produced by Williamson Tea, comes in boxes of 80, and costs £2.09 a pack, 7p of which will go to the lifeboats.

“We’ve been associated with the RNLI for the past twenty years and have raised well over £100,000 for the charity to date,” said a spokesman. “Now we’re looking to double this figure annually with the re-launch of Lifeboat Tea. ”

Lifeboat Tea first originated when a sailor and his crew were caught in a violent storm during the tragic Fastnet race in 1979. All crew members were rescued from their sinking boat by the RNLI and Lifeboat Tea was set up to mark their gratitude and to raise money for their life savers.

Lifeboat Tea is Fairtrade certified and accredited by the Rainforest Alliance, which works to conserve biodiversity and protect the rights and welfare of workers, families and communities.