Britons drink 78 million cups of tea a day

London, Jan 10 (IANS) Tea-loving Britons drink nearly 80 million cups daily, a study has found.

“We know the first thing customers do when they check into their room is make a cup of tea,” said Simon Beattie of Travelodge, which polled 5,000 adults.

Despite the recent prevalence of coffee shops, 78 million cups of tea are enjoyed daily.

More than half of the Britons rely on a traditional brew first thing, with just 35 percent choosing coffee. It is not just the older generation who enjoy a cuppa – 51 percent of those aged 18 to 24 prefer tea, Daily Express reported.

A third of those polled said it helped them unwind with almost half finding tea comforting.

The traditions, however, are dying — 46 percent of tea drinkers prefer a mug and just 16 percent brew up in a teapot.

The study also revealed some slyness in the workplace. Almost a third of workers hate doing the tea run and one in 10 deliberately makes a poor cup to avoid doing it again.

IANS 2013-01-10 21:30:03