Brits drink enough tea to fill two bathtubs each per year
New research reveals staggering amount of tea we imbibe.
Confirming a stereotype with aplomb, new research shows that British adults drink an average of 17 cups of tea per week, or 884 cups a year. That's enough tea to fill two bathtubs each annually. By the Tea Advisory Panel’s estimate, it’s a collective 15 billion litres every year.
The research, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Contact the Elderly, also indicated that the older we get, the more tea we drink. While 18-24-year-olds only enjoy around eight cups a week, over-55s drink 21, or three cups per day.
A comforting drink
Well over half (58%) of Brits agree that a cup of tea signals comfort, with 65% associating it with relaxation. For 24% of people aged 18-25, tea is something to drink when they feel sad, compared to just 11% of over-55s.
Mary Rance, CEO of Contact the Elderly, said the “research confirms that tea really is part of our national identity.” The charity's mission is to bring together isolated elderly people, who are sadly growing in number, with different generations to socialise.
“We know from our parties and our research that a cup of tea brings Britain together,” says Mary. “We urge people to support us by volunteering to put the kettle on for lonely older people.” For more on how you can help, take a look at the Contact the Elderly website.
How much tea do you drink?
John Fitzsimons, editor of our sister site loveMONEY, is probably the biggest tea fan in the office – it’s rare to catch him at any point in the day without a cuppa – so I asked him how many cups he drinks. By his estimate, it’s around 32 cups of tea a week, which is about 1,664 cups a year.
That’s more than double the average, but he says that while he consumes around six cups a day while working, he doesn’t drink much tea during weekends. Are there any other tea-lovers out there who drink the stuff in such vast quantities? Let us know in the Comments below.
Three cakes to enjoy with a cup
There are few partnerships more enjoyable than tea and cake. And with so many cakes to choose from, settling on the best bake is tough. I think this lemon cloud cake hits the spot. If you’re expecting guests with little warning, a no-bake cake might be better. Or perhaps you like individual cakes, in which case how about these Burn O’Vat rock cakes instead?
How much tea do you drink? What’s the best biscuit or cake to enjoy with a cuppa? Let us know in the Comments below.
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