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Drinking tea is entrenched in the British way of life. From early morning to late at night, the kettle is on for a brew in many households across the country. Not surprisingly, Britain is one of the world’s biggest tea-drinking nations alongside Turkey, Ireland and China, but why do they drink so much tea? Turns out, it’s all to do with taxes.
Tea was first brought to Britain in the early 17th century by the East India Company and was presented to King Charles II. His Portuguese wife, Princess Catherine of Braganza, set the trend in drinking tea, which then caught on among the aristocrats of the time. But tea was so expensive, due to heavy taxation imposed by the government, that people kept these fragrant leaves under lock and key. Once taxes were reduced, ordinary people were then able to enjoy the beverage, and it became more popular than the other drinks of the day: coffee, chocolate and alcohol.