Brits reaching for more green tea than ever

LONDON, March 26 For a growing number of Brits, a cuppa builders brew is no longer their cup of tea.

Though regular black tea may account for the biggest share of the tea market in the UK at 70 per cent, sales of English Breakfast tea bags dropped 1.5 per cent between 2010 and 2011 as Brits reached for more exotic varieties, reported research group Mintel this week.

Most notably, the drop in sales of black tea coincides with the explosive popularity of green tea, which grew 83 per cent between 2009 and 2011. Today, about 12 per cent of Brits say they drink green tea on a weekly basis, say Mintel analysts.

Historically, tea consumption in the UK has been linked to the state of the nation, researchers point out, with Brits turning to builders brew the colloquial term used to describe an elixir of low-grade tea sweetened with milk and sugar for comfort.

But the health benefits of green tea have quickly been usurping the role of black tea in British households, as sales nearly doubled from 12 million (RM58 million) in 2009 to 22 million in 2011.

Fruit and herbal teas have likewise risen in popularity, with sales increasing 10 per cent between 2009 and 2011.

Though green tea has a sterling reputation for its antioxidant properties, a study commissioned by the Tea Advisory Panel in the UK also claims that black tea is just as effective as the Asian variety at boosting heart health and circulation. Relaxnews

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