British Teatime

Do the British really get together every afternoon to sit and drink several cups of tea? No. They drink over 150 million cups of tea a day in Britain, but there is no special time for the nation’s favourite drink. British people drink tea all day whether it is morning, noon or night. There are reasons for the confusion surrounding “teatime”, however. “Tea” is widely used as a name for the evening meal. This is more common in Scotland and the north of England, but you can hear it all over the country. Usually it is the main meal of the day, eaten between 5 and 7. So, “teatime” refers to the meal and not the drink. In the south, the evening meal is often called dinner, while in the north dinner is called the midday meal. What about tea breaks? Surely this must be a special time for tea? Wrong again. Tea breaks are simply an opportunity to have a rest from work for around 10 minutes. In this time, you can drink whatever you like. This is usually done with a small snack. The best time for a tea break is mid-morning around 11 or mid-afternoon around 3. What about tea rooms? A tea room is the perfect place to go to with friends and family to enjoy tea, cakes and sandwiches. This is known as afternoon tea and is usually saved for special occasions. In Devon and Cornwall, afternoon tea is served with locally made cream and strawberry jam. We call this a cream tea. While tea rooms are rare for the British, they are very popular with tourists and are well worth a visit. Teatime, tea breaks, afternoon tea, cream tea ... how puzzled you could possibly get!