British people are making tea wrong, according to science

60.2 billion cups per year are consumed each year in Britain, but a new survey reveals that 80 per cent of us have been doing it wrong

A cup of tea (Creative Commons)

A worrying majority of Britons aren't brewing their tea properly, according to a new study.

The British Science Association conducted the research as part of British Science Week. They asked over 1,000 adults about their tea-making habits and found that Britons were failing to brew their tea for the required amount of time, which they claim is up to five minutes.

An average of 60.2 billion cups per year are consumed every year in Britain, but the new survey reveals that 80 per cent of us have been doing it all wrong.

Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials and Society at University College London, said: "This may be controversial, but the British do not understand how to make tea! Or at least they’re not doing it properly. And it’s because they don’t understand the variables.

"Expediency is causing us to throw chemistry out of the window; we’re not allowing our tea to brew for long enough to release the flavours properly."

Last month the British Standard’s Institution released a guide called "preparation of a liquor of tea for use in sensory tests", which contained everything you need to know about making the perfect cup of tea.