The United Kingdom is falling in love with coffee after centuries of tea romance. In December 2013, data from Britain’s grocers showed that tea sales declined by about six percent over the last year–almost doubling the three percent fall in 2013.
Trade publications, e.g. “The Grocer” reported that staple Tetley tea bag sales were off more than 17 percent year to year whilst Pyramid bags (PG Tips) were off more than six percent for the period. Bucking the trend, Ty-phoo rose more than one percent during the year.
Jolly that, coffee time
What does this mean to you and me? If four o’clock in the afternoon is still that time when a cuppa something would hit the spot – along with a delectable snack of some sort – you know that tea time is already, er, coffee time. It’s a good thing that health researchers say that both coffee and tea can improve one’s health.
That’s one of the reasons that organic coffee, green, and herbal teas are rising in price at the grocer’s. People may be switching off English or Irish breakfast tea for organic green, white, or herbal teas and – the drumroll please – that favorite Americas drink, coffee. And that’s why prices for these items are up an average twenty percent year to year!
Health benefits of coffee and some teas
According to the University Medical Center of Utrecht, Netherlands, almost 38,000 coffee and tea drinkers’ lab results performed over many years prove health benefits. Both drinks help to remove dangerous free radicals from the body, say researchers. The American Medical Association (AMA) agrees.
For example, coffee or tea drinkers taking at least three to six cups a day have fewer coronary or heart disease issues when compared to those drinking less than a cup a day. And those drinking greater than six cups enjoyed an almost forty percent lower likelihood of developing coronary disease.
Even two to four cups a day lowered drinkers’ heart disease risk by at least twenty percent!
Since it’s nearly impossible to overdose on caffeine by drinking either coffee or tea – experts say you’d need to consume fifty cups of coffee or two hundred cups of tea at one sitting for that to happen – drink up!
Coffee brewing machines
The proper brewing and drinking of coffee is an art form that has spawned many corporate coffee empires. Think Starbucks, then realize that one cup of a fashionable coffee beverage sets the drinker back a few pounds!
That’s why those most in love with coffee – true coffee purists – know the importance of brewing their own. According to “Coffee Crazy”, these refined types know that pure water plus favorite organic coffee blends plus the right coffee brewing machines equals bliss unmatched by almost anything.
Not to mention the monetary savings of taking a fashionable, freshly brewed carafe to the office instead of buying coffees or cappuccinos each day.
Find the latest (and most affordable) coffee brewing machines at the John Lewis online store. A two-year guarantee comes with the purchase.
We came across this article while we were looking at the ‘latest’ coffee news, and even though it’s a few years old, it’s amazing how prescient it was. The love affair has certainly continued – the choice has broadened, the volume drunk increased almost exponentially, and even cold coffee variants are becoming more and more popular. While we British will always be fond of a good cup of tea, you were right in that the appeal of caffeine-packed (or not) cup of coffee shows no signs of waning.