Trouble brews for tea sales

BRITAIN is falling out of love with tea because millennials find the taste too bitter, analysis shows.

According to Mintel, the consumer analyst, sales of tea fell by 5 per cent in 2016, with 77million kg sold.

It put this down to the sweet tooth of younger consumers meaning they favour sugary drinks.

The research shows that young people are opting for fruit and herbal teas instead. It found 37 per cent of Brits aged 25 to 34 have drunk five or six different types of tea at home or in the workplace over the past month, making them more adventurous.

Meanwhile, more than half of Brits aged 55 and over who drink tea once a day or less, said they prefer coffee. In addition, the report painted a gloomy outlook for the future of tea, with the market estimated to drop by a further 3 per cent in 2017, to 75million kg.

Over the next five years, the market is predicted to fall by 13 per cent to reach 65million kg of tea sold in 2022.

Anita Winther, a food and drink analyst at Mintel, said: “Consumers aged 25 to 34 have a greater tendency to seek out new foods and flavours to try.”