19 June 2012: British workers choose a cup of ‘cha’ to kick start their working day.
British workers turn to tea to stay sharp in the workplace, despite the encroachment of coffee into our national culture, a new study out today has revealed. Every morning over half of the nation’s workforce (53%) rely on a good cuppa, at around 8am, to get their working day moving and on average they will drink three cups of tea during their working day. Whilst just 35% of British workers said they preferred coffee.
The tea study conducted by Travelodge, surveyed 5,000 British workers to help discover the nation’s hot beverage drinking habits and key findings revealed the traditional work tea-break is still alive and well across British companies; with the most popular times being 10am and 3pm. On average employees will spend 24 minutes a day bonding with colleagues by either fetching or sharing a hot beverage with them. During an average work day around 46 million mugs of tea are drank by British workers.
Within the report 34% of respondents stated they catch up on the latest gossip in the workplace kitchen; as nowadays less workers go to the smoking shed for a cigarette.
Around four out of ten British workers reported they continue to work through their tea break due to the pressures of their working schedule whilst 18% of employees have acquired a taste for drinking cold tea due to them not breaking away from their work to enjoy the hot beverage.
However office politics can get quite heated regarding whose turn it is to make the tea with 26% of British workers regularly keeping score of whose turn it is to do the ‘tea run’. Fourteen per cent of employees surveyed reported they get annoyed by hints from colleagues that it’s their turn to make the tea and even feel hostile towards fellow workers who try to dodge their turn. One in ten workers will deliberately make a poor cup of tea so that they don’t have to do it again. One in ten workers surveyed reported their work colleagues don’t know how to make a good cuppa.
To make the work tea break more pleasurable, a quarter of workers regularly bring in biscuits, cakes and chocolates to share amongst colleagues. The digestive biscuit (plain and chocolate) is British workers top choice. A ‘builders brew’ is the preferred way to drink tea in the office however in today’s calorie conscious world, 51% of workers take their tea without sugar. Just 15% of adults enjoy a milky tea.
The survey also revealed that British workers love to drink their tea out of a mug rather than a traditional dainty cup and saucer. Forty six per cent of tea-drinking workers reported their tea tastes better when drunk from a mug as it stays warmer for longer and you also get a good measure.
Eleven per cent of British workers reported they drink more tea when they are stressed at work and 27% of workers reported they will go a make a cup of tea to help them make an important decision at work.
Further findings revealed after a long day at work, 64% of workers turn to a good cuppa when they get home from work to help them unwind. Forty three per cent of adults stated they find a good brew comforting and it feels like a good hug in a mug.
Simon Beattie, Head of Food and Beverage for Travelodge said: “On average, over 12 million cups of tea are drunk in our rooms and Bar Cafes in a year. In the last year we have seen a significant increase in requests for additional teabags from our customers. We know the first thing customers do when they check into their room is make a cup of tea. To address this growing demand for a good cuppa we have extended the range of teas we offer in our Bar Café’s so that we can accommodate all tastes. In addition we only serve tea in mugs across all of our hotels.”
Shayne House, Co-Founder and Director of the Tea Appreciation Society, said: “I’m not surprised at the popularity of tea, especially among the younger generation. Those of us that are familiar with the liquid jade are well aware that there is a tea renaissance the world over. Hip and fashionable, and underlined by a move towards a healthier lifestyle, tea has replaced coffee as the drink of choice for young urbanites everywhere. Celebrities including Lady Gaga and Padma Lakshmi now have their own tea lines and high-end tea lounges are springing up across the globe.
“Tea has and always will be an occasion for friendship for each new generation – it offers us an opportunity for shared moments of intimacy. It enables us to reflect, to be inspired and to create. Tea is a way of life.”
Further research findings revealed the nation has some room for improvement when it comes to making the perfect cup of tea; as just one in ten respondents actually brews their tea for the recommend three minutes. Forty per cent of adults just dip the teabag into hot water for less than a minute.
Shayne House recommends this technique for brewing the perfect cuppa:
- Whether making a cuppa with a tea bag or with loose leaf (which is far superior in taste), one should use boiling water. (Use boiled water that has cooled lightly for green and white tea)
- If making tea in a pot, warm the pot with some boiling water first. Pour on the boiled water and leave to infuse for three minutes. Left longer to steep and it can ‘bolt’ creating a distinctly sour sharpness.
- Then add milk.
The survey also revealed Wales is the most hardcore region for tea drinkers in the UK, followed by the East & West Midlands and the South West regions. Listed below are the top regions for the heaviest tea drinkers.
1. Wales
2. East & West Midlands
3. South West
4. Yorkshire and Humber
5. North East
6. London
7. East Anglia
8. South East
9. Scotland
