Steeped in tradition

The British are famous for their love of a cuppa but the history of tea in this country has distinctly courtly origins

- ETTIE NEIL-GALLACHER

THE ENGLISH are not the world's greatest tea drinkers. This came as something of a surprise to me, having grown up in a house where tea was mainlined from morning until night. And to this day, I still warn people when they visit my mother simply to accept the cup of tea they will undoubtedly be offered within 20 seconds of walking through her front door. If declined, the offer will be repeated in an infusion based war of attrition until the brew beneficiary caves. While it's doubtless unsettling to be cornered into a cuppa, it's weirdly stressful for my mother as she tries to understand why someone might not, always, at any given time of the day, want tea.

Per capita, the world's greatest consumers of tea are the Turks (who are also the world's fifth biggest producer). Although we Brits drink 100 million cups a day that's just shy of 36 billion a year - the Turks consume 40% more tea than we do in Blighty. And we're decisively beaten into third place by the Irish, who guzzle over 10% more than us.

While we may only be languishing in bronze medal position, there can be no doubt about the important role tea has played for centuries in our socioeconomic history and continues to do so. Our average daily intake is between two and three cups. We consume it for so many different reasons, in different contexts and in so many different ways, although most these days (97%) use teabags rather than loose-leaf tea. Even my mother has succumbed.