Cookie crumbles as favourite tea dunker

‘Gen Z’ break all the rules by enjoying unsweetened snacks with tea as retailers braced for shift in tastes

Enjoying a biscuit with a cup of tea has been part of British life since the 19th century, but young people are increasingly shunning sweet treats with their brews in favour of savoury snacks such as samosas – prompting warnings that biscuit sales may be at risk. With “little time” for three sit-down meals, those in their teens and 20s are more likely to snack on filling, smaller bites throughout the day, according to food and drink experts.

ENJOYING a biscuit with a cup of tea has been part of British life since the 19th century, but young people are increasingly shunning sweet treats with their brews in favour of savoury snacks such as samosas – prompting warnings that biscuit sales may be at risk.

With “little time” for three sit-down meals, those in their teens and twenties are more likely to snack on filling, smaller bites throughout the day, according to food and drink experts.

Exposure to a more diverse rang of cuisines through short cooking tutorials on websites such as Tiktok is also encouraging youngsters to look further afield for their snacks, they added.

Granola bars are the tea snack of choice for one in 10 people aged 18 to 29, more than double the proportion of over-65s, according to a survey of 1,000 people by the trade body the United Kingdom Tea & Infusions Association, while 8 per cent of youngsters surveyed opt for a samosa with their tea, compared with no over-65s.

Dr Sharon Hall, chief executive of the group, said: “Granola bars are probably quite filling, so maybe people are having that as a snack with their tea to fill them up. They may be looking for something a little bit more substantial. The same would apply to a samosa.”

Dr Hall suggested younger people likely preferred “nutty or spicy flavours”, which may evoke memories.

“Maybe such food reminds them of recent travels they have taken and a cuppa with a samosa takes them back to that memory,” she said. “We know from the data that a cuppa triggers many sorts of positive emotions, something that cuts across all age groups.”

Further research by market research company Mintel shows that those aged 16 to 24 are half as likely to enjoy a sweet biscuit with their tea as those over 55.

Mintel, which interviewed around 2,000 tea-drinkers between August and October last year, warned that “future sales of sweet biscuits are at risk if the younger generation do not establish the hot drink with biscuits habit”.

Jonny Forsyth, director of Mintel Food and Drink, said: “Gen Z have little time for the old rules of three formal meals per day, and Tiktok has introduced them to a melting point of culinary traditions.

“Snacks won’t ruin the meal; they are the meal.

“Gen Z prefers snacking over set mealtimes, meaning that brands need to target them with smaller, exciting bites throughout the day... with indulgence becoming more important as the day progresses.”

Last year, Britons ate £1.9billionworth of sweet biscuits.

According to food historian Annie Gray, until the 19th century biscuits were mainly eaten as part of the dessert course for the wealthy.

In 1874, Britain removed the import duty on sugar, instantly making it cheap enough for most people to afford and giving a boost to biscuit manufacturers.