British Tea Views
Between 1872 and 1884 the supply of tea to the empire had increased with the expansion of the British Empire’s railroad to the east. The demand however was not proportional, which caused the prices to rise. Nevertheless, from 1884 onward due to new innovation in tea preparation the price of tea dropped and remained relatively low throughout the first half of the 20th century. Soon afterwards London became the center of international tea trade.[10] With high tea imports also came a large increase in the demand for porcelain . The demand for tea cup, pots and dishes increased to go along with this popular new drink.[11] Now, people in Britain drink tea multiple times a day. As the years passed it became a drink less associated with high society as people of all classes drink tea today which can be enjoyed in many different flavours and ways.
There used to be a tradition of tea rooms in the UK which provided the traditional fare of cream and jam on scones, a combination commonly known as cream tea. However, these establishments have declined in popularity since World War II. In Devon and Cornwall particularly, cream teas are a speciality. A.B.C. tea shops and Lyons Corner Houses were a successful chain of such establishments. In Yorkshire the company Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate, run their own Tearooms Bettys Café Tearooms, established in 1919, is now classed as an British Institution. It is a common misconception that cream tea refers to tea served with cream (as opposed to milk). This is certainly not the case. It simply means that tea is served with a scone with clotted cream and jam.
Some scholars suggest that tea played a role in British Industrial Revolution. Afternoon tea possibly became a way to increase the number of hours labourers could work in factories; the stimulants in the tea, accompanied by sugary snacks would give workers energy to finish out the day's work. Further, tea helped alleviate some of the consequences of the urbanization that accompanied the industrial revolution: drinking tea required boiling one's water, thereby killing water-borne diseases like dysentery, cholera, and typhoid.[12]
The ubiquitous appearance of tea in British daily life has generated a wealth of culture on the subject. One such example is the patriotic poem written on the introduction of tea rationing during the Second World War. Descended into obscurity, the poem was popular among schoolchildren and in cafeterias until the end of rationing in the 1950s, after which time it became unknown. Disparaging milk and sugar is not likely to reflect 1940s British tastes but is more likely a propaganda drive to encourage more prudent consumption during a period of heavy rationing.
British Tea Images
