Thaindian News

London, Mar 25 (ANI): A survey has found that the traditional British way of brewing tea is in decline, as more young adults are choosing trendier brews.

Researchers found that only half of those aged 16 to 24 regularly enjoy the quintessentially English breakfast tea compared with nine in ten of over 65s.

According to market analyst Mintel, fruit and herbal teas, together with coffee, are winning over young consumers at the expense of the traditional drink.

Young adults are turning to green tea, fruit teas, rooibos, which is a naturally uncaffeinated tea that originated in South Africa, and speciality creations such as Assam.

“Unless traditional tea makers resonate with younger tea drinkers, they may find that this is one tradition not passed from one generation to the next,” the Daily Mail quoted Mintel senior drinks analyst, Jonny Forsyth, as warning.

“Tea is capitalising on the short-term increase in the number of over-65s but failing to convert the younger generations in significant enough numbers to replace those falling out of the market.

“Our consumer research identifies a younger tea drinking generation who differ markedly from previous generations.

“They have a much more adventurous attitude towards drinking tea, enjoying the variety of flitting between standard ‘English’ breakfast, speciality and herbal tea rather than just sticking to one type; and they are keen to try new tea brands and new flavours.

“What this translates to is a new generation growing up for whom the traditional cuppa is not the be all and end all.

“Their decision-making process when buying tea is much more conscious than with older generations.

“For example, many use different kinds of herbal tea dependent on their mood and will decide to have a cup of standard English breakfast tea if in need of an energy booster,” he added.

The volume of sales of traditional tea fell by 5 percent between 2008 and 2010. (ANI)