British National Tea Day

Yes, you’ve read that correctly – behind every wonderful country, there is a more wonderful beverage to get you through the day. For British people, that’s the beloved cuppa! We won’t go into the controversial PG tips or Yorkshire tea poll, but for the past two centuries, a British cup of tea has been the drink of choice, and now every year on the 21^st of April, we celebrate British National Tea day – YAY!

Sip, Sip, HOORAY!!!

National tea day will be celebrated in tea rooms, pubs, hotels, cafes, through special events and, there are a few charitable fundraising events across the country, including ‘Fes-Tea-Val’ at London’s Chiswick House & Gardens. This festival is widely visited with people coming in from all over the UK to sip their way through hundreds of flavours showcased. Although Tea can be found worldwide, we Brits have made it crystal clear that no one celebrates tea as they do. Of course, you don’t have to celebrate by getting yourself to the Fes-Tea-Val, you can get involved at home and appreciate a few cups of Britain’s beverage delicacy

Our longstanding relationship with tea has become a great social point. If you need to chat to a friend or a loved one about something, you invite them over for a cuppa. We are social beings and tea has become as much of a culture or an experience as it is a drink. You’ll both find yourself sipping away your worries and before you know it, you’ve guzzled down a few pots of tea.

Now for a bit of history on the day itself… A brew has been popular in the UK since the middle of the 19^th century, however, British National Tea Day didn’t come along till much later. In 2016 the day was founded and the date was specific because it’s a very special day *drum roll please….*

It’s Queen Elizabeth’s birthday!!! I mean can you get any more British???

For more information about the history of this brilliant day, head over to http://www.nationalteaday.co.uk/. 

Our adoration for a cuppa is so big that collectively we as brits consume more than 60 BILLION cups a year, that’s about 165 MILLION cups per day…… TEA COMA??? With so many different variations of tea worldwide, from green tea, breakfast brews and sleepy bedtime teas, it’s no wonder we are all yet to be bored by the timeless beverage

TheStudios have a few ideas on how you can celebrate British National Tea day & Cheers to the Queen on her birthday. Remember, you don’t have to be in the UK to celebrate, all you need is 10 minutes away from the stresses of the world to enjoy a cup of the nation’s loved favourite.

• Host a Tea morning! Invite some of your friends over for a good giggle and grab a few biccies to dunk away into your cuppa- Afterall, calories don’t count when your laughing them off with your besties

• Put on a bit of Downton Abbey and learn the tea etiquette – you never know, Queeny may invite you over for a cuppa soon – you don’t want your cheeks going rosy with embarrassment … Learn to pour, to dunk or not to dunk those shortbreads?, How do you present the classic finger sarnies, how do you stir your tea? And lastly, mind that napkin (where are they placed) ….. see!!! Loads to think about to fit in with the royal standards

• It’s the Easter holidays and hopefully the weather is warmer and dry… So why not fill up a flask of your and make an afternoon tea to take to your local park for a picnic…

• Hold a T-ERRIFIC party for charity…. An easy way to fundraise for your chosen charity is to host a tea morning or afternoon – McMillen do the classic coffee morning and it’s become ever so popular, so why not do try it with a tea morning

• Experiment with Tea – There as so many flavours of tea, so why not grab an array of flavours and experiment with making some cold drinks with funky flavours? You never know, you might be on to the next cocktail…

With black and green tea found to be heart-healthy, tea offers a ton of health benefits.

• Hydrating – 90% water!
• Can reduce bad cholesterol
• Improves blood vessel function
• Contains antioxidants
• Contains vitamin H which strengthens the immune system

On that note…. PUT THE KETTLE ON!

Don’t forget to share your photos of the day #NationalTeaDay #TheStudios