Tea!
“It’s a very good English custom,
‘tho the weather be cold or hot,
When you need a little pick-up,
You’ll find a tea-cup
Always hits the spot!”
"Everything Stops for Tea” (Goodheart/Sigler/Hoffman)
So went the 1940s hit song which, like the cup of tea, did wonders to help British soldiers at the Front and the nation at home get through the darkest days of World War II.
The great British love affair with its ‘cuppa’ endures to this day, getting Britain awake each morning, perked up each afternoon, through Olympic moments and Brexit moments, through good times and bad. In 1837, Queen Victoria’s first command on mounting the throne was “Bring me a cup of tea and the Times!” The present Queen enjoys daily cups of English Breakfast while Prime Minister Theresa May is partial to Earl Grey. Tea is the supreme national cure-all, from strong sugary cups served up with buttered toast to new mothers in maternity wards, to the infamous ‘builders tea and two sugars’ seen on work sites across the land. After a brisk country walk, nothing beats curling up in front of an open fire, with a steaming mug of tea and a chocolate biscuit.
Some say it’s the effect of BBC’s Great British Bake Off, attracting audiences upwards of 10 million per show, that’s re-invigorated an interest in tea-time, along with ever-rising sales of specialty teas, cake stands, tea sets and bakeware. Others suggest it’s due to tea’s newly discovered health benefits– from preventing diabetes, strokes and cancer to protecting the heart, bones and teeth.
Whatever the reasons, UK’s Tea and Infusions Association reports that 70% of Brits over the age of 10 had a cup of tea yesterday– that’s 165 million cups of tea a day– 98% with milk, 30% with sugar, and 96% from tea bags. In Britain, any time is cuppa time— so why not come and have one with us?
See our coverage here:
1. Tradition With A Twist: The Old Parsonage Hotel, Oxford
2. Tea Back In Time: Vintage Lindylou, Crayford
3. Tea On The Park: Park Room, Grosvenor House, London
4. Tea And Ting: Ting Lounge, The Shard
5. A Very Crooked Tea: The Crooked House, Lavenham
Email the author - Judith Schrut at judith0777@gmail.com