When I think of Liverpool, I think of the Beatles.I know that dates me, but that’s my reference. Now, I guess I’ll have to think about tea. A new article in the British Fawley Online Magazine reports about tea drinking patterns around the U.K. Some I found interesting and some downright troublesome.

“Researchers took an in-depth look into the hot beverage habits of the nation and discovered the average Brit will consume a staggering 66,685 cups of tea  over their lifetime. But it was the good folk of Liverpool who emerged as the biggest tea lovers of all, with the average Liverpudlian consuming 1,460 cups of splosh EVERY year.”

Adding further to the understand of tea drinkers, it was the conclusion of the poll that “An overwhelming three-quarters of adults who completed the poll (72 percent) said they would rather stay in and curl up on the sofa with a steaming cuppa opposed to a raucous night out on the tiles.” I find that fascinating but wish they had reported on the age group of their sample. As a boomer, I can easily relate to those conclusions but I’m thinking the younger generation might not agree.

A spokesperson for Redring said: “Brits are famous for their love of tea. It would seem many of us can’t function without it. Despite the market being flooded by extravagant blends and flavours, it appears good old builder’s tea is what we reach for.”

When I asked Wikipedia to define builder’s tea, here’s what I got:

“Builder’s tea is a British English colloquial term for a strong cup of tea. It takes its name from the inexpensive tea commonly drunk by labourers taking a break. A builder’s tea is typically brewed in a mug with a teabag (as opposed to loose tealeaves in a teapot), with milk and sugar.”

I have to admit, I was quite surprised to hear that an inexpensive, strong tea bag tea is what the Brits are still reaching for. With all the outstanding whole leaf teas that are available around the world, it’s a bit disturbing that they’re still enjoying low-quality tea.

I think that’s where the U.S. appears to be different in their preferences. I see an increasing interest in high-quality teas both in ample tea bags and loose leaf. I guess you can say us Americans have always been cowboys at heart!

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