No tea, please, we’re British.
Sales of the steeped drink — a British staple since the days of the raj — are down 22% since 2010 and may plummet by nearly 70% by 2020, according to the research firm Mintel.
Even basic black tea is in hot water with consumers, with sales down dropped 13% between 2012 and 2014.
“Standard black tea is struggling to maintain consumers’ interest amid growing competition from other drinks,” said Mintel analyst Emma Clifford, citing the “uninspiring image” of basic black.
But Britons are still bonkers for some teas. Fruit and herbal varities are up 31% since 2010.
“Places like Teavana and David’s Tea are doing so well because people who don’t generally like straight-up tea will go for the fruit teas,” Londoner and tea enthusiast Kimberly Truong told the Daily News.
Meanwhile, coffee drinking is on the rise, added fellow Londoner Rafay Agha.
“There’s a larger coffee culture here now because of the Aussies and Kiwis,” he said, referring to immigrants from Australia and New Zealand.
The fabric of English culture is probably not coming unwoven just yet. A majority of Brits — 54% — said they still enjoy their national beverage at least once a day.
