For as long as anyone can remember hard working roofers, carpenters and any other construction worker we can think of has worshipped the great British cup of tea. In our branches you can catch most of our staff enjoying a good cuppa as demonstrated by the Manager of our London Colney store, Barry below enjoying a brew, which are free in all of our stores, of course!
When did this tea drinking craze start?
At first tea was a luxury for the rich, at one point they even thought it was bad for health but over hundreds of years it has been crowned as our national drink. We drink 165 million cups of tea a day; out-consuming coffee by two cups to one.
Do you put the milk in first?
There is an age old discussion/argument whether you put the milk in before the water or the other way around. Apparently, putting the milk in first meant you had very fine china that would crack if the boiling water went straight in and the the milk was needed to cool it down. I think it's better to put the water in first as the sugar dissolves fully, quicker and you can judge how much milk you need and can avoid tea that's too strong or too weak and milky.
What is a Classic Builders Tea?
A classic builders tea comes in a mug (or a very elegant, polystyrene cup as our model, Barry displays above). This classic tea is usually topped up with full fat milk and generally 3 heaped teaspoons of sugar. This tea should is generally the colour of wet sand and it's not just tea but it's fuel, It's what our builders run on. If you want your building job done well it helps to have a good supply of tea for your trusty builder!
Recently, a group of students from the University of Leicester released what they think is the formula for the perfect cup of builders tea. If you can work out this formula, give it a try and let us know what you think of this €˜perfect' cup of builders tea here is the formula below
Will builders tea always be the preferred drink for construction workers?
Personally, I believe that nothing beats the cup of tea but Giles Sheldrick who writes for the Sunday Express believes builders are getting fancy with their coffee instead and going for the latte's, Americanos and drinks that you would expect to find in Starbucks. and also cutting down on their sugar, which could never be a bad thing especially for health reasons. Tea remains Britains favourite, the number has apparently dropped year by year by four percent. Still you can't believe everything you read in the newspaper.
There are so many types of tea these days, that sometimes it's hard to choose what tea to drink. I thought I would tie this into some of our other articles and help you out and give you a list of€¦
Five Of Our Favourites - Tea
1. PG Tips - There are so many types of tea but nothing beats the common cuppa, the PG Tips that you drink when you wake up and before you go to bed.
2. Earl Grey - Earl grey for me is a fancy version of the common cup of tea, which I enjoy with milk as well. If you didn't know Earl Grey is a black tea that contains oil of bergamot as a flavouring
3. Green Tea - I had to add green tea to the list as it is one of my mothers favourites. Although some find it quite bitter, you can put lemon and honey in it for a not so bitter taste. not only that but it's good for you too.
4.Chamomile Tea - Although chamomile tea isn't strong in flavour, many enjoy its bland taste and also it's calming properties
5. Oolong Tea - This tea is a traditional chinese tea. It also helps aid losing weight. The flavour can differ from sweet and smelling like honey or woody and roasted, depending on how it's produced.
#5OfOurFavourites
If you disagree with any of this tea talk then shout us on one of our social media channel's because we would love to know what you think!
