To control the mechanical response of pure tantalum requires tailoring the microstructure by carefully controlling thermo-mechanical processing. In this investigation the role of introducing an intermediate anneal prior to upset forging of a plate on microstructural evolution was investigated. Structural observations were made on surfaces of the plate located at the mid-plane and through-thickness. Plate material produced from the annealed billet material was more homogeneous in grain structure and recrystallized with a higher ratio of {100}/{111} grain orientations. The limitations in mechanical properties that may be avoided by enhancing the textural and microstructural homogeneity through the introduction of an intermediate anneal are discussed.