Career
Larkin, a world traveller who specialized in finding foodstuffs for import, was best known for founding the Salada Tea Company in 1892. Larkin introduced the concept of packaging tea in foil to maintain quality. Previously, tea had been sold in loose form.
This innovation proved popular and soon became the industry standard, helping to establish Salada as a leading seller of tea in Canada and the northeastern United States of America with factories in Toronto, Montreal and Boston.
As Prime Minister of Canada, King appointed Larkin as Canadian high commissioner to the United Kingdom, a position he held until his death. Larkin was the driving force behind Canada"s acquisition of the building later known as Canada House in London to house the high commission.
In the late 1920s, Larkin raised $250,000 for Mackenzie King in order to give him financial security.