Coffee and tea are hugely popular beverages; however, the average person on the street would likely find it nigh-impossible to definitively state which was drank the most daily. Although it’s a closely fought race in the UK, the result is far clearer in the rest of the world, and forging ahead, leaving its long-time rival behind, is tea!
Whatever our age, we all love a cup of tea. In fact, we are drinking more cups of tea a day in the UK and across the globe versus coffee, contrary to research just published, which just looked at packs of coffee and tea sold, which bears no comparison to cups of each beverage drunk daily.
Dr Sharon Hall, Chief Executive of the UK Tea & Infusions Association, notes, “Brits are drinking over 100 million cups of tea each day versus 98 million cups of coffee – that’s at least two million more cups of tea each day versus coffee.
And across the globe, we drink over 5 billion cups of tea each day¹ – way more than the 2 billion cups of coffee drunk daily. As a result, tea remains after water the most consumed beverage in the world and a national treasure even amongst younger adults who love to experiment with different beverages.”
Real-world research² among 4,000 UK adults found that over eight in 10 (83%) 18–24-year-olds are having a daily cuppa. The main reason given is the great taste – cited by 80% of younger adults and 85% of the over 25s.
Hence tea is loved by us all, whatever our age, with 31% of younger adults polled saying they drink more tea than their parents, so it is far from an outdated beverage.
In fact, younger adults drink English breakfast during the day for relaxation and warmth, then choose herbal teas at night to wind down. Seven out of 10 young adults brew up a cuppa as soon as they get out of bed. When asked what word they associate with tea, 18–24-year-olds say cosy and associate tea with that lovely ‘warm, loved feeling – a hug in a mug.
Another real-world research poll³ of more than 1,000 UK adults also just published found that middle-aged and older adults think tea is great for hydration and boosting mood, while younger adults drink tea to help ease and bust stress.
With every age loving a cup of tea and the younger generation confirming that they will not let the great British tradition of tea drinking fall by the wayside, here are my top tea-making tips for brewing the best cuppa we all continue to love and drink daily:
How to make a perfect brew from Dr Sharon Hall at the UKTIA:
- Use a good quality teabag or loose-leaf tea and store your tea in a cool, dry place.
- Avoid storing tea next to strongly flavoured or perfumed foods.
- Always use freshly drawn water and consider using a water filter. Dr Sharon Hall explains, “In some parts of the country, the tap water is hard or soft, and this can affect the taste of the tea.”
- Use one teabag or one rounded teaspoon of loose tea for each cup or mug.
- Smart boil. Using your mug, measure out just the water you need for one or two cuppas and only boil that.
Dr Sharon Hall notes, “This will help save on energy costs and will ensure a good flavour tea which develops best when made with freshly boiled water. The lack of oxygen bubbles in re-boiled water can give the tea a flat taste.”
- Allow the tea to brew for the recommended time before pouring. Always read the instructions on the pack, and if you’re brewing tea from a bag in a mug, adding milk last is best.
- Most black teas should be brewed for three to four minutes, while Lapsang Souchong black tea tastes best after four to five minutes. Brew green tea for three to four minutes and oolong tea for three to five minutes, depending on your strength preference.
- Remove the bag after brewing before adding the milk.
- Put your feet up, relax and enjoy.
To discover more about tea, visit www.tea.co.uk.
References:
- ¹ Estimated Total Global Consumption of 6,209 Million Kg of Tea (Data Source: International Tea Committee). Using an average of 3g (per cup), this would equate to over 5 billion cups consumed worldwide every day (five billion six hundred seventy million three hundred nineteen thousand six hundred thirty-five);
- ² Omnibus survey ran via Obsurvant; December 2022
- ³ Perspectus Global; 1,000 consumers; Spring 2023
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