British tradition of afternoon tea gains popularity
The very British traditional afternoon tea is gathering popularity once again. New research from Churchill Home Insurance has found that perhaps surprisingly, the tradition of taking afternoon tea is particularly popular with the younger generation (18-34 year olds) as 62 per cent of this group having been in the last five years or planning to go in the next six months. This compares with only 44 per cent of adults over the aged 55 and over.
The research revealed that men would rather take their partners to afternoon tea (47 per cent compared with 25 per cent of women) whilst women were more inclined to take their mother (26 per cent) or go with friends (22 per cent).
People to take for afternoon tea - % of people who chose these
Partner 36 per cent
Mother 20 per cent
Friends 15 per cent
Children 8 per cent
Father 3 per cent
Grandparents 2 per cent
Martin Scott, head of Churchill home insurance, said: “It is good to see the resurgence of such a traditional British pastime. New locations hosting afternoon tea are popping up all over the place, and their success shows the popularity of a leisurely cup of tea and a piece of cake. With an average tea drinker drinking four cups of tea a day, it seems like Britain is retaining its position as a nation of tea drinkers.
“With National Afternoon Tea week between 11th and 17th of August, it seems fitting to offer new customers the chance to have afternoon tea at a variety of different, local locations on Churchill*.”
The appeal of afternoon tea is that it can be enjoyed at home too. Over a third of all respondents have also bought a teapot or tea set in the last five years. With an average spend of £32 on each teapot/tea set that means we have spent £567m in the past five years for home tea-mergencies.
*Applies to new customers buying combined buildings and contents policies quoted and bought directly from churchill.com/home-insurance between the 1st August and 31st October 2014. Customers can choose a free gift from three options. These include afternoon tea for two, a night away for two or a spa day. T&Cs apply. For more information, go to churchill.com.
