Why everything still starts with tea...

Britain is still a nation of tea-lovers, despite the encroachment of coffee into our national culture, according to new research.

More than half of the nation rely on a traditional cup of tea – at around 8am, on average – to help kick start their working day while only 35 per cent of Britons choose coffee.

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The tea study conducted by Travelodge, surveyed 5,000 British adults to help discover the nation’s hot beverage drinking habits.

Key research findings revealed that despite Britain’s image of being a cosmopolitan, European country with a coffee bar on every corner, we still savour the old-fashioned comfort of a good brew as 78 million mugs of tea are downed every day across the UK.

The research also highlighted that tea’s popularity in the UK cuts across all generations and it is not just a favourite hot beverage enjoyed by the older generations. 51 per cent of 18 -24 year old Britons stated they start their day with a mug of tea.

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A third of this age group said tea helps them to unwind, and nearly half said they find drinking tea comforting.

The survey also revealed that we have become a nation who loves to drink their tea out of a mug rather than a traditional dainty cup and saucer.

46 per cent of tea drinkers reported their tea tastes better when drunk from a mug as it stays warmer for longer and you also get a good measure.

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But the teapot could soon become obsolete as just 16 per cent of Britons use a teapot daily to make their favourite hot beverage. Eight out of ten Britons reported they don’t have the time or patience to make tea in a teapot.

The study also revealed after a long day, 63 per cent of Britons turn to a good cuppa 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.

In the workplace the traditional tea-break is still alive and well across British companies with the most popular times being 10am and 3pm. Thirty per cent of British workers hate having to do the tea run at their place of work and one in ten will deliberately make a poor cup of team so that they don’t have to do it again. To encourage team bonding during the daily tea break a quarter of workers bring in biscuits, cakes and chocolates to share amongst colleagues.

One in five Brit carry their love of tea with them, carrying their favourite brand of teabags with them when away from home.

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