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!
4 cups a day only? I call that breakfast. I’m guessing it’s an average so you are going to have people that dont drink tea and lower the average. I don’t find it that strange that they like Builder’s tea here in malta. If you go to snack bar and ask for tea that is the only tea they have. Even people when they refer to tea it’s always the Builder’s tea. If you tell them about any tea like green tea they be like that is not real tea. I love it as well though.
So frustrating, isn’t it? I’m posting a YouTube video tonight which I’ll come back and link here, on how EASY it is to brew (and clean up after) loose tea and it’s just no comparison in experience to a tea bag. BTW, Richard Branson has 20 cups of tea a day..just found that story and posted it on my FB about a week ago. Wonder if it’s bags or loose?
I can confirm the tea in Britain that comes in teabags is far superior to the teabag here in the US. Not quite sure why but its definitely better. Doesn’t seem to be as bitter.
Here’s that new video http://bit.ly/2pJL7GI on the ease of making loose tea. And, someone there in Comments brought up the safety issue of tea bags & sachets; coincidentally, I ran across this article on that subject just today: http://bit.ly/2qB3zlz
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