When you think of London you might think of Big Ben, cool accents, and a cup of tea. London is synonymous with tea and is prominent in British culture & society. More than other cities, London prioritizes their tea over craft coffee and pairing tea and pastries, rather than wine and cheese.
On average, the British drink more than 60 billion cups of tea every year. The culture of tea has been studied by social scientists in England. Anthropologist Kate Fox writes in her book Watching the English that tea drinkers tend to follow certain patterns. Strongly brewed teas, such as black tea, are typically consumed by the working class. As for those who are ranked higher on the social scale, they tend to prefer weaker brews..
Londoners didn’t always drink tea socially. The tradition only began to occur in the middle of the 18th century, and you’ll never guess who started the tradition.
Afternoon tea parties were a ritual in Great Britain dating back to the early 1840s. Londoners typically held private tea parties in their homes, but the tradition began when Queen Victoria began engaging in afternoon tea and Europeans across the country began to follow suit. Afternoon tea was used in between lunch and dinner. A similar concept to brunch, but during different meals. Tea for their 8 PM dinner by eating sandwiches, scones filled with jams, pastries, and cakes.
The best tea shops in London
If you’re looking for the best teas in London, make sure you try all the following:
Candella Tea Room, Kennsington
Tea Palace
Claridge’s London
