A mug of builder’s tea? It’s too strong for us, say...er, builders

A BUILDER’S brew may be shorthand for any ‘good, strong tea’ but it seems there are differences between how each tradesman takes their cuppa.

In fact, a poll of 2,000 workers reveals there is only one thing that different trades have in common – they all take milk.

It found other preferences, including how long the teabag is left in for and which biscuit is the best accompaniment, varied widely across professions.

Ironically, the study also found that builders do not like a ‘strong tea’ but preferred a weaker cuppa, leaving the bag in for between ten and 30 seconds.

Heating engineers, however, liked to steep the teabag for the longest time, between three and four minutes, ideally with a Chocolate Digestive alongside.

Plumber Tony Hewitt, 43, of Harrow, North-West London, said he hated it when he was served up a really strong cuppa. ‘Most customers offer me a cup of tea, but it’s not that often you get offered biscuits any more,’ he added.

‘I hate it when the teabag is steeped for ages. It’s like drinking a cup of tar and stains the mug. I like a nice weak to medium cup of tea. As for biscuits, I’ll take anything offered, but I admit I prefer it when I see a pack of Hobnobs.’

A spokesman for Toolstation, which conducted the survey, said: ‘Each trade likes a different type of cuppa. Our study has found heating engineers like their brews the strongest, with a brewing time of three to four minutes. Builders, however, prefer just ten to 30 seconds for brewing time.’ Britons drink about 100 million cups of tea every day – 97 per cent made using teabags – with only Ireland having a higher consumption rate per capita.