Fact for the day: Approximately 165,000,000 cups of tea are drunk on average in a day, in England (according to the United Kingdom Tea Council, though they may be a little biased).
Setting aside the very serious historical and political influence the humble tea leaf has been involved in, it is almost a religion here and I do know a few people whose blood has practically been replaced by the tan liquid.
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In the work place it's very social - in most of the offices I've have worked in & charities I have volunteered with, if you don't drink tea it kind of baffles people. They aren't offended at all when you say no thanks, but a fleeting puzzled frown normally crosses their brow if you say "No, I'm ok thanks, I don't really drink tea." I found myself accepting cups of tea and getting involved in tea runs more out of a courtesy than thirst, and subsequently found myself with a caffeine habit.
I've found that there are 3 types of people; the social makers (who always get their round in, or can be persuaded to), the anti-social makers (who never get a round in, strategically planning their trip to the kitchen and employing some pretty sneaky tactics), and the canny ones (who make such bad tea that the rest of the offices shudders at the suggestion & leaps to their feet to make for everyone).
Greasing the wheels of industry...
It's also quite a social etiquette with milk; who gets it and which one they get - we have had office-wide discussions on the subject alone, and there is a minor panic when we run out.
There is also the subtle art of how you take your tea - at home we were quite involved in the motor racing scene, and the odds were:
MECHANICS - 2 Sugars+
DRIVERS - 1 Sugar
OWNERS - No Sugar
It was uncanny how often our 'scientific' formula was right, and it didn't matter if it was cars or bikes. Whilst researching for this post, I ran into this article on "your tea type" Great minds think alike (although fools seldom differ. That's a bit of food for thought!)
No overseas box would be complete without a box of Union Jack Tea. Fact.
However, if you aren't a tea drinker, I have found a loophole in the social matrix.
That's right, nothing is enjoyed more by your new tea-drinking colleagues & Brits than a nice slice of cake.
How do you enjoy your tea? Or are you a Coffee Fiend?
Have I made you Thirsty?
What does your beverage of choice say about you?
lol, I am one of the canny ones that makes bad tea. Only because I drink my tea black with a slice of lemon in and still cannot judge how much milk to put in someone elses cup...icky white stuff! My favourite tea at the moment is Twinings English Breakfast. They used to provide this for us at work. But now they give us some un-named brand in a big jar I bring my own from home. Tomorrow I will be going to the Langham for their Tiffin afternoon tea...I can't wait...they make their own tea blends. And the cakes! I hope they don't look sideways at me taking photos of everything for my blog hehe.
ReplyDeleteI believe you ;-) I wasn't quick enough and my mum sadly learned that I make a good cuppa. Silly girl!
ReplyDeleteI do like English Breakfast, and Earl Grey is a new discovery.
Oh, the Langham is lovely if I'm thinking of the right hotel! I find people are used to everyone taking photos now, though there have been a couple of displeased looks. I find explaining the blog is usually sufficient.