page_title: Tea in the United Kingdom
hierarchical_section_title: Tea in the United Kingdom
caption_attribution_description: English: A nice cup of tea (and a sit down). A Denby teapot and cup with milk jug.
context_page_description: Since the eighteenth century, the United Kingdom has been one of the world's largest tea consumers, with an average annual per capita tea supply of 1.9 kg. The British Empire was instrumental in spreading tea from China to India; British interests controlled tea production in the subcontinent. Tea, which was an upper-class drink in continental Europe, became the infusion of every social class in Britain throughout the course of the eighteenth century and has remained so. Tea is a prominent feature of British culture and society.
  In both the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the drinking of tea is so varied that it is difficult to generalise. While it is usually served with milk, it is not uncommon to drink it black or with lemon, with sugar being a popular addition to any of the above. Strong ordinary tea, served in a mug with milk and often sugar, is a popular combination known as builder's tea. Tea is often accompanied with sandwiches, crumpets, scones, cake and/or biscuits, with a popular British custom being dunking the biscuit into the tea.
context_section_description: Since the eighteenth century, the United Kingdom has been one of the world's largest tea consumers, with an average annual per capita tea supply of 1.9 kg (4.18 lbs). The British Empire was instrumental in spreading tea from China to India; British interests controlled tea production in the subcontinent. Tea, which was an upper-class drink in continental Europe, became the infusion of every social class in Britain throughout the course of the eighteenth century and has remained so. Tea is a prominent feature of British culture and society.
  In both the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the drinking of tea is so varied that it is difficult to generalise. While it is usually served with milk, it is not uncommon to drink it black or with lemon, with sugar being a popular addition to any of the above. Strong ordinary tea (e.g. English Breakfast tea), served in a mug with milk and often sugar, is a popular combination known as builder's tea. Tea is often accompanied with sandwiches, crumpets, scones, cake and/or biscuits, with a popular British custom being dunking the biscuit into the tea.
caption: A ceramic teapot on a metal trivet, a milk jug, and a full teacup on a saucer
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