COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

People in the city are also clueless when it comes to tea etiquette, according to a new survey

The majority of people in Coventry don’t know how to make a ‘proper’ cup of tea and are clueless when it comes to tea etiquette, according to a new survey.

The survey has revealed 60 per cent of Coventrians have never made a cup of tea using tea leaves, while a whopping 95 per cent do not know how to stir their tea properly.

The findings emerged in a survey commissioned by the Armed Forces charity SSAFA to mark the launch of its annual fundraising campaign, the Big Brew Up.

When questioned on how to make the perfect cuppa, over half (60 per cent) of people quizzed in Coventry revealed they had never made a cup of tea using tea leaves, just tea bags , with seven per cent admitting they didn’t even know what a tea strainer was.

The survey also revealed that 95 per cent of people in Coventry have not mastered the basics of how to stir their tea.

According to Debrett’s, the correct way to stir tea is in a back and forth motion from 12 o clock to 6 o clock, but only five per cent of tea drinkers in Coventry correctly stated this, with the majority incorrectly stirring in a circular motion.

The poll has also revealed people in Coventry are confused by what to serve with tea.

When asked what ‘extras’ should be offered to visitors when making them a brew , the vast majority of respondents (90 per cent) had no idea that a slice of lemon, according to Debrett’s experts, is supposed to be offered in addition to milk and sugar.

The poll has also uncovered Coventrians have an issue with the pronunciation of tea-time favourites.

When quizzed on how to pronounce the classic British ‘scone’ almost half of Coventry respondents (41 per cent) stated that they would say scone – as in ‘bone’, rather than the correct pronunciation of scone – as in ‘gone’

Moving away from traditional tea-time etiquette, 65 per cent of those surveyed in Coventry admitted to enjoying a biscuit dunk when sitting down with a cuppa, despite the fact this is considered a faux pas with the experts.

SSAFA’s annual fundraising campaign, the Big Brew Up, runs throughout June and encourages friends, colleagues and families to come together and host a tea party to raise funds for members of the military community in need.

Tegan Jones, director of fundraising at SSAFA, said: “It is fascinating to see how British tea culture has evolved over time.

“Although the results have shown we need to brush up on our tea etiquette, it is great to know that Coventry is still passionate about tea drinking.”

dutchman wrote:This article is fake, there's no mention of Coventry or any other city in the survey: https://www.ssafa.org.uk/latest/absolut-tea-useless

rebbonk wrote:I did an investigation once in conjunction with a tea company about what made the 'perfect' cuppa. - Warming the pot! Few people actually bother to do this, and many don't use a pot at all.

rebbonk wrote:Apparently, it's all to do with the temperature of the water striking the leaves, (I can't remember the actual temperature it should be.) and it has to remain at that temperature for a few seconds. Hence warming the pot helps.

rebbonk wrote:I thought the cozy was only to stop it cooling after it was brewed?