Tea was rationed during the 2nd World War – 2oz per person per week. It was called Britain ’s secret weapon. In the heavy bombing raids people working or taking shelter said they were OK as long as they had a cup of tea!

Here are is a fact that you might not have known about coffee to consider as you enjoy your coffee and flapjack this morning.   Coffee is grown in 53 countries around the world, all of them located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The coffee industry employs more than 25 million people worldwide.

There has been much research carried out into the health benefits of teas; this has resulted in tea having a deserved reputation as an healthy beverage. Some of the health benefit facts that have been linked to the consumption of green tea include a reduction in the risk of cancers and cardiovascular disease; a reduction in kidney stones; increased bone mineral density. Increasingly green teas are being drank in the western world for their health benefits.

90% of tea we drink today is made with tea-bags.

Oolong tea is popular in Taiwan and some parts of China.

Black tea is mainly drank in the western world on the continents of Europe and North America, and in other North African countries.

Green tea is mainly consumed in North east Asia in Japan, Korea and China. And also in the North African country of Morocco

Most of the tea that is consumed in the world is of the oxidised black tea variety; this makes up about 80% of all tea consumed. Oolong tea is consumed much less at about 2%. Green teas account for the remainder of tea consumption ~20%. There is also a geographical split with regards to the type of tea that is consumed.

In Britain today on average each person drinks 3 cups of tea per day.

Tea is produced in three different ways which produce three distinct types: Black, Green and Oolong.

1. Green Tea: this is produced in a non-oxidising way by drying and steaming the tea leaves.
2. Black Tea: These teas undergo a fermentation stage that oxidises the leaves before they are dried and steamed.
3. Oolong Tea: These undergo a part fermentation process before they are dried.