Why do the British drink so much tea?

  • Published
  • By British Billy
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Although not much of a tea drinker myself, I have noticed the average British citizen requires tea at least twice a day in order to function adequately. In our house, few noises apart from grunts are heard before the morning's first cuppa. How you drink your tea is largely down to personal preference and there is a lot of rubbish spouted about the correct temperature of the water needed (98.5 degrees Celsius), taking the pot to the kettle (NEVER the other way around) and other such droplets of liquid wisdom.

We shall say little here of iced tea. That is best left on your side of the Atlantic. It really is quite hard to understand how a fine nation, such as your own, could turn aside from the true way to this path of folly, but we trust one day you will discover again the unsurpassed joy of the amber infusion.

Of course, I quite understand why Americans prefer coffee as a hot beverage over tea. You made your feelings quite clear in 1773 when you dumped all that tea into Boston Harbor.

It really is a shame because tea is such a healthy, soothing, friendly drink. I have witnessed its healing properties first hand; tears turned to laughter and frowns to smiles. Indeed, one of our most celebrated prime ministers, William Gladstone, is reported as saying, "If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you." He, of course, was a fine British gentleman who no doubt could attribute much of his success in life to the mighty brew.

Afternoon tea these days is a bit of a luxury, but highly recommended. When you suffer that afternoon slump, why not just make a pot of tea for your whole office, buy a few scones with jam and cream, a few slices of sponge cake and relax. The world will seem a much better and calmer place.

Purr-fect.