After what feels like a debate that’s been dragging on for a lifetime, with just about everyone from your Grandad and Auntie, to even a ‘professional tea taster’ chucking their opinion into the mix, actual proper research has revealed what everyone in Manchester already knew anyway.
That us Mancunians make the best cups of tea, and everyone else is just doing it wrong.
It’s as simple as that.
Now, we know that talking to Brits about brews is a very delicate business, because simply put, Brits love a brew, and it was even found last year that we’ve been buying tea more than ever during lockdown – with an additional £24 million spent on the stuff in a four week period.
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Basically, we’ll pop the kettle on at any chance we get, but this new research has confirmed that if you’re going to want anyone to pop the kettle on for you, it’s us Mancs.
So, how has this obvious conclusion come about then? Well, it’s all about strength.
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A survey of 2,000 UK adults – commissioned by watch and sunglasses specialist, Tic Watches – found that the time an average person leaves their tea to brew is just one minute and ten seconds, but experts actually advise leaving the teabag in for between four and five minutes to make sure you “unlock all its flavour”, and it was found that just one in 50 – or 2% – of UK tea-drinkers actually follow this guidance.
In fact, Brits are three times more likely to remove the teabag in under 10 seconds (6%), than they are to brew for the recommended length.
Across the UK, us Mancunians make the best brews, with 5% of us listening to the experts by waiting at least four minutes for their drink – which is the most of any city – and we also have the longest average brewing time too, at one minute and 26 seconds.
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As the only northern representatives on the top five list, Manchester is joined by other places such as Nottingham and Norwich.
And then at the other end of the spectrum, Bristolians were found to make the weakest tea – also known as the worst – with an average time of just 47 seconds.
So you really can’t argue with that.
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The UK cities making the strongest tea are:
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Manchester – 1 minute, 26 seconds
Southampton – 1 minute, 20 seconds
Nottingham – 1 minute, 14 seconds
London – 1 minute, 14 seconds
Norwich – 1 minute, 10 seconds
UK average – 1 minute, 10 seconds
The UK cities making the weakest tea are:
Bristol – 47 seconds
Birmingham – 56 seconds
Newcastle – 59 seconds
Glasgow – 59 seconds
Leeds – 1 minute, 2 seconds
The age of the tea brewer was also found to be a factor too, with millennials having the strongest tea (1 minute, 17 seconds), while baby boomers brew up the the weakest cup (1 minute, 6 seconds), and it also appears that tea is gradually becoming less popular, as each new generation is drinking less of it.
While 91% of over 65s say they enjoy a brew, this drops to 85% among Gen Z, with a steady decline in between.
On a slightly more shocking and controversial note though, when it comes to whether to add the milk first or last, 30% of Mancunians are most likely to opt for the milk-first method apparently, with us only being beaten to the top spot by 31% of Londoners.
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What’s that all about?
Do you agree with that claim Manchester?
Wading in on the findings, Danny Richmond – Managing Director at Tic Watches – said: “The length of time that someone brews their tea for is an incredibly personal thing and everyone is different, but our study showed that many people are not following the expert suggestions for brewing,
“But as long as it tastes good to you, that’s the only thing that matters.”
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Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into foul-mouthed chaos
Danny Jones
The first press conference ahead of Tommy Fury vs Darren Till was held on Tuesday evening and it didn’t take long for the whole thing to descend into absolute bedlam.
Having only been confirmed on Sunday, Fury vs Till will be a homecoming bout for the Wythenshawe-born fighter who is set to headline the first-ever boxing match at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.
With the date set for 18 January, the pre-fight build-up and media frenzy are growing fast and things have already come to ahead in just the first meeting between the two fighters in London this week.
Clearly sharing plenty of bad blood already, while Tommy and Till were engaging in the usual fighting talk, the family patriarch, John Fury, decided to interject and it was at this point that things boiled over.
‼️ Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into chaos as Till tells John Fury: "Shut up, you haven't been seen since Oleksandr Usyk battered Tyson."
As you can see, amidst the various insults being thrown around regarding intelligence, boxing ability, Tommy’s older brother Tyson being “battered by [Oleksandr] Usyk”, ‘Big John’ then launches a bottle of water across the table at Till, sparking a hot-tempered on-stage skirmish.
The lengthy exchange features as many expletives as you could imagine, with 31-year-old Darren Till also threatening that he will “bladder” both Tommy and his more established heavyweight sibling Tyson, labelling the entire Fury family “shithouses” as they walk out of the London press conference.
A mixed martial artist by trade who has competed at both welterweight and middleweight in the UFC, Till assured that even if the boxing match isn’t going his way on the night, he will kick [him] square in [the] face”, adding that he’s a “proper fighter” and that Tommy, on the other hand, has no power.
YouTube turned musician and occasional boxer, KSI – the founder of the Misfits promotion who is putting on the event and who Fury beat back in October last year – can also be heard whooping from centre stage and shouting, “Get your tickets!”
Even after the mini-brawl is separated, the foul-mouthed back and forth continues for some time. You can see another angle here:
Press conference aftermath 🤯@darrentill2 was going IN on the Fury’s 😳
This isn’t the first time things have boiled over at a Fury press conference; in fact, it’s not even the first time John Fury, 59, has found himself in the very eye of the storm.
Meanwhile, the youngest Fury son is preparing first his first fight in over a year, having nearly joined this year’s I’m a Celeb lineup instead.
Tickets for the now highly-anticipated boxing match at Co-op Live, just the second combat sports event to have been held at the arena, are on sale now – you can grab yours HERE. It’s going to be a feisty one.
Festive Grinch-themed cafes to pop up inside Greater Manchester Primark stores
Emily Sergeant
Festive Grinch-themed cafes are popping up inside two of Primark’s biggest Greater Manchester stores in the run-up to Christmas.
As the temperatures turn colder by the day, the nights draw in, and the most wonderful time of the year nears closer and closer, it won’t be long before it’s time to snuggle up in our comfies and pop on the first Christmas film of the year – and for some of us, there’s a good chance that first film of choice will be The Grinch.
Whether you prefer the 2000 fantasy comedy starring Jim Carey, or the 2018 animated reboot with Benedict Cumberbatch, it’s undoubtedly a real family favourite.
To celebrate everyone’s favourite grumpy green grouch, Primark has teamed up with Dr. Seuss once again on a Grinch-tastic collaboration.
Shoppers can now head to their nearest Primark store to find the largest-ever Grinch collection, with something for the whole family, as well as great gifting options said to be “ideal for getting into the anti-Christmas spirit”.
There’s Grinch pyjamas and slippers for both adults and kids, a Grinch ‘Onesie’ that’s sure to make people green with envy, Grinch drinks cups and mugs, a selection of loungewear and Christmas jumpers for festive dressing, and so much more, as well as whole host of Grinch-inspired outfits and toys for your four-legged friends too.
As part of Primark’s aim to offer affordable choices for everyone, prices for the Grinch collection start at just £1 for accessories, and go up to £24 for adult clothing.
If the return of the Grinch collection wasn’t exciting enough as it is, the all-new Grinch cafes – which are popping up in Primark on Market Street in Manchester city centre, as well as Primark in Trafford Palazzo – are bound to be hit with fans of the furry character.
There’s everything from green waffles and themed milkshakes, to festive toasties, hot drinks, and more on the menu.
With Greater Manchester Grinch cafes set to be open until the end of December, Sarah Jackson – who is the Director of Licensing at Primark, said: “We’re so excited to roll out our amazing cafe experience across a number of our UK locations, bringing a sprinkle of mischief to our customers this festive season.
“Whether you’re stopping in for a sweet treat or stocking up on pyjamas and gifts for the whole family, we have everything you need to make it a truly unforgettable Grinch-mas.”