Why Do The English Drink So Much Tea

For the English, tea is more than just a drink, it is synonymous with relationship, society, meeting with friends, family or colleagues, although it is also common for them to enjoy it alone.

Most English people drink tea at any time:  when they wake up, in the middle of the morning, after lunch, in the middle of the afternoon and even before going to sleep.

Terms that the English use when having tea

• Teatime: Tea time.
• Five o’clock tea: The five o’clock tea.
• Afternoon tea: Afternoon tea.
• High tea: After dinner tea.
• Early morning tea: Early morning tea, usually served in bed.
• Breakfast tea: Breakfast tea.

The custom of drinking tea

The custom of drinking tea in England is closely related to the monarchy. That custom had its roots, in many respects, in personal convenience.

It is said that this custom was introduced by Princess Catherine of Braganza, daughter of the King of Portugal and wife of Charles II of England. She initiated the entire aristocracy, after carrying a basket of the best tea in China, in the art of drinking it.

Another aspect that may have influenced the English to drink a lot of tea is that it was conveniently commercial at the time. And, when the noble Lord Sandwich devised the making of the famous sandwich known as a sandwich, the custom of drinking tea and eating a light sandwich became more ingrained in the English nobility,  since this favored social coexistence.

The popular five o’clock tea

Five o’clock tea has been popular in England for about 150 years. The origin of the Five o’clock tea is due to the Duchess of Bedford, at the beginning of the 19th century. She chose the famous time of five in the afternoon that we know today to have tea and mitigate the hunger that assailed her between lunch and dinner.

One summer afternoon she was faint and asked to be served tea with something to eat. This circumstance made her a custom, inviting her noble friends to have afternoon tea with her. Soon that tea time turned into an elegant social event for the aristocracy.

Later they began to offer their friends sandwiches and pastries to accompany said tea, something that has endured in history and in some way continues to be maintained, currently being a popular practice for tourism.

Unlike the tea that can be consumed mainly in China or Japan, the English are inclined towards black tea,  which today they mainly accompany with some type of paste.

The “Afternoon tea”

Nowadays it is difficult for an Englishman to have tea with pastries at five in the afternoon, since they usually have dinner around six. For this reason, the name Afternoon tea is used, instead of Five o’clock tea. There are English people who like to go, from time to time, to enjoy a good Afternoon tea at any of the distinguished hotels and exclusive tea shops that offer it throughout the country.

Tea is the protagonist of this snack, but not the only important and exquisite ingredient. For afternoon tea, they also serve champagne and a three-tier platter or tiered tray with sweets, savory sandwiches, jams, butter and the famous scones for spreads.

What is the tea that the English drink the most?

Black tea is the most suitable to accompany with milk and sugar, which is how they usually consume it. They use different blends of black tea, mostly from Ceylan and Assam, among others. The best known are Darjeeling tea, Earl Gray and the super famous English Breakfast Tea, a typical strong English breakfast tea.

Today that tradition is practically a matter of state. The influence of tea among the English is so great that the “tea break” (to stop for tea) is one of the rights that all English have during working hours.