MORE than one in ten Brighton residents opt for plant-based milk for their brew, a recent study has found.

According to the Tea Census report, to coincide with International Tea Day, some 13 per cent of people in the city opt for a plant-based alternative for their tea, with two per cent adding cream.

Almost three-quarters of people in Brighton (73 per cent) choose black tea, with or without milk, as their tea of choice, while only two per cent drink a classic builder’s brew of strong, dark sugary tea.

Dr Sharon Hall, head of the UK Tea and Infusions Association (UKTIA), said: “If there’s something the Brits do well, it’s popping on the kettle and brewing a good cup of tea.

“It’s a tradition that dates back to the 16th century when Charles II married the Portuguese princess and tea lover Catherine of Braganza.

“Most people in Brighton think black tea comes from China (43 per cent) or India (36 per cent), but most of the tea drunk in the UK actually comes from Kenya, although it is often blended with other teas such as Assam tea from India, Ceylon teas from Sri Lanka, and black teas from Rwanda and other east African nations.”

The report also found that nearly half of people in Brighton (48 per cent) have a biscuit with their brew, with 38 per cent using their tea break to catch up on social media.

Over a third use a tea break to chat with work colleagues, with one in five enjoying a puzzle and three per cent using the time to sit and think.

The census also found that more than two in five people in Brighton (44 per cent) said feelings were a factor in their choice of tea or infusion.

Dr Hall said: “More than a fifth of people in Brighton (30 per cent) turn to chamomile when they want to de-stress, and a fruit infusion is a popular choice when feeling dreamy (15 per cent).

“If we were told, we couldn’t have tea for a day, 26 per cent of people in Brighton said they would be upset, angry or saddened and a quarter (24 per cent) would miss it terribly.

Across the country, the UK imports around 100,000 metric tons of tea every year, with Britons consuming more than 100 million brews every day.