 After serving an apprenticeship as a weaver in the City of London, Twining worked for the East India Company merchant Thomas D'Aeth, and became a tea merchant.Twining purchased Tom's Coffee Shop, in Devereux Court, off the Strand, in 1706.He subsequently used the premises to sell tea to customers, in addition to the more common coffee, and to sell dry tea to both customers and other nearby coffee shops, such as the Grecian Coffee House - now the site of The Devereux public house - and George's Coffee House across Devereux Court.