People are sweeping tea packets off shelves in the UK
With trade in the Red Sea disrupted by attacks by Yemeni militants, tea from Asia and East Africa is taking longer to reach British mugs. In Britain, people are worried as Houthi attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea threaten the supply chains of their national drink.
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Britain's famous tea party could be under threat as Houthi attacks on supply ships in the Red Sea could affect Britain's most sacred tradition.
The first signs of disruption to UK tea supplies were noted by British supermarket chain Sainsbury's, which issued the following notice: “We are experiencing supply issues affecting the availability of black tea across the country. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to resume full supply soon.»
Speaking to the Times, Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: «Some black tea lines are experiencing temporary disruptions, but the impact on consumers will be minimal as retailers do not expect significant problems.»
More than half of all British tea comes from India and Kenya, with the supply chain dependent on the Red Sea shipping routes, explains the Institute of Export and International Trade.
“For many Britons, the world revolves around one thing. You wake up. You are drinking a cup of tea. You're coming home. You drink a cup of tea. When people get together, you drink a cup of tea,” experts explain.
To understand the UK tea shortage, you need to understand where the tea comes from — mainly India, Sri Lanka, China and Kenya. Of all these places, the shortest route to the UK is through the Suez Canal. But Houthi attacks on ships nearby mean some are rerouting around Africa instead. This results in an extra 14 days of travel time, meaning tea shelves are bare in some UK supermarkets.
The UK's largest tea company says it is closely monitoring the situation as it takes mitigation measures.
The British Retail Consortium reassures that disruptions in the supply of black tea to the country are temporary and minimal. Asian Tea director Mohit Agarwal says he has no doubt supply chains will be restored as soon as possible.
On the streets of London, residents Shahira Amra and her friend Mel Debeck are warning neighbors about panic buying. “You know how Americans buy toilet paper and milk at the first hint of a hurricane or snowstorm? Well, the equivalent here is tea,” said eyewitnesses.
Tea is a central part of modern British culture. Britain is the third largest consumer of tea per capita after Turkey and Ireland, with 84 percent of Britons drinking at least one cup of tea a day.
The earliest examples of tea drinking took place in southern China, probably in the Yunnan region, at least as early as 5 thousand years ago. The cultivation of tea bushes spread from there with the first shipment of leaves to Europe by the Dutch East India Company, shipping tea from Macau in 1607. Shortly thereafter, in the 17th century, the English began importing tea from Macau, perhaps through the influence of King Charles II's wife, the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza. Over the next century, the drink evolved from a privilege of the upper classes — due to the high taxes levied on tea — to a popular drink for everyone.
Unlike most countries in the rest of the world, the UK and Ireland enjoy tea with milk. This is partly because the milk softens the bitter taste of the leaves, but it may also be due to the fact that people used fragile porcelain cups. Milk tea is so beloved that around 98 per cent of the 100 million teas brewed every day in the UK contain some milk.
To get an idea of just how popular tea drinking is among Britons, the National Grid is having to provide extra power because of the spikes tension when everyone turns on the kettle at the same time during the commercial breaks of popular television soap operas. And this effect tends to be amplified when the England men's football team plays in a major tournament. A record surge in demand for electricity occurred after the penalty shootout in the semi-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup between England and West Germany.
However, Turkey is the absolute leader in tea consumption in Europe. The history of tea runs deep in the Eurasian nation, as there is evidence that traders from the Silk Road brought the leaves back as early as the 5th century AD.