British Tea Culture

British people drink 4.28 lb of tea per capita per year.

They are the globally most known nation for tea consumption although the Turks drink even more tea.

Before the 1700s no one was drinking tea in the UK while in the 1800s everyone was hooked to it.

History of British Tea

Tea was introduced to the UK in the 17th century and it was imported from India. However, it was too expensive and it was only for the upper class. It was kept under a lock and consumed on special occasions. The first tea brought to Britain was Green tea.

Later on, with the expansion of the trading routes, the merchants started importing Black tea and its varieties, so it became more affordable for the common Brits.

The afternoon tea tradition started in 1840 by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford. The Duchess would become hungry around 4 p.m. while the dinner was served at 8 p.m. She started drinking sweetened tea with a snack at this hour every day until it became an afternoon tea ritual that slowly expanded throughout the nation.

British Tea Culture

British tea is always accompanied by sugar cubes and a splash of milk. Besides the Green and Black, Brits also enjoy a variety of other herbal infusions such as chamomile before going to bed or peppermint for an upset stomach.

The tea culture expand widely in times when people struggled with water-borne diseases, so boiled water with a medicinal herb helps to soothe any infection symptoms.

Tea is the national drink of the British people, and teahouses are the best places for friendly encounters and sharing experiences.

You can never say ‘no’ when offered a cup of tea at a friend’s house as this is one of the most important parts of the culture.

A warm cup of tea is not only reserved for a tea afternoon, but it’s also widely consumed during breakfast.

The favorite snack that goes alongside the tea is the fresh British scone with organic strawberry jam or clotted cream.

Although British tea mostly comes in tea bags, it’s much better to choose a loose-leaf tea option whenever possible as it is pure, uncontaminated, and organic.