Yes Really – Us Brits Are Drinking A Cup Of Tea Or More An Hour

Put the kettle on for this one
Kseniya Ovchinnikova via Getty Images

One or two sugars? With or without milk? Herbal or breakfast tea? There’s no doubt that Britain is a nation of tea lovers. In fact, 60% of Brits start drinking tea at primary school age.

However, according to new research from The Tea Group, over half of Brits (55%) say that they’d prefer a herbal or other leaf-based tea blend over the traditional English Breakfast tea that the nation is famed for.

However, we haven’t given up on having a little snack with our tea - over 90% of Brits still pair their tea with a biscuit, cake, or sandwich.

How Do You Like Your Brew?

22% of people prefer a green tea such as matcha, 11% choose rooibos, ginger, peppermint, chamomile or fruit tea as their blend of choice. More than half of people surveyed like to have their morning tea with milk, a quarter like it rich and malty and 15% prefer herbaceous - all made directly into a mug for 68% of people.

However, one in five people did agree that the traditional way of serving tea - loose leaves brewed in a teapot served into a china cup - still makes the ‘perfect’ brew.

Diaz Ayub, Managing Director at The Tea Group, said: “It is wonderful to see how Brits are embracing the range of artisan tea, cold brews and herbal varieties available today.

“The Traditional English Breakfast Tea has been a staple part of UK culture for centuries, and remains so for 45% of the tea lovers we surveyed. However, our findings reveal that the future of tea is much more diverse with a new generation of tea drinkers who are moving beyond the traditional brew to embrace a mixology of teas that inspire health and happiness.”

Health Benefits of Herbal Teas

While 87% of tea drinkers say that tea makes them feel ‘calm and relaxed’, there are quite a lot of health benefits associated with alternative teas:

A Versatile Drink Choice

If you’re looking to introduce tea to more of your day, Diaz Ayub has some advice for diversifying your tea drinking:

“Tea plays a role in so many cultures and can be enjoyed in so many ways, and we’re seeing this in the UK with more tea-lovers pairing various teas with different types of food. Try succulent scallops with Japanese Gyokuro tea served in a wine glass, or pistachio macaron with milky Oolong tea, or the traditional shepherd’s pie is great with an English Breakfast tea.

“It’s a drink that offers a world of opportunity for trying fresh delights and our study shows that Brits’ taste for tea is stronger than ever.”

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