Yorkshire Tea is now the nation's second favourite brew

Yorkshire Tea has overtaken Tetley as Britain's second best brew
Shutterstock / SGM
Harriet Pavey6 September 2017

Fans of a “proper brew”, rejoice: Yorkshire Tea is now the nation’s second favourite cuppa, overtaking Tetley for the first time ever.

Yorkshire Tea now accounts for 23 per cent of all tea bought in the UK, while PG Tips remains in the top spot as Britain's most-bought brand of brew.

Yorkshire Tea was first launched as “a Yorkshire blend for Yorkshire people” but increased advertising, an active Twitter account and its sponsorship of the England cricket team has given the company a national profile.

Its iconic giant red teapot, usually strategically placed on the Yorkshire moors, has become a familiar sight during TV ad breaks over the past few years.

Not to mention its famous tagline - “Let’s have a proper brew” - which is virtually impossible to read without hearing a Yorkshire accent and thinking about having a steaming cuppa with friends. Ahhh.

Along with tea-drinkers up and down the nation, Yorkshire Tea proudly counts plenty of Yorkshire-born celebs among its fans, including Michael Parkinson, the triathlete Brownlee brothers and the Kaiser Chiefs.

Yorkshire Tea is still produced in Harrogate by the family firm that founded it 40 years ago. This is in contrast to Tetley, which is owned by Indian company Tata Global Beverages, the same conglomerate as Tata steel.

While 72 per cent of UK households drink standard black tea, this figure is slowly declining as consumers seek out other types of beverages such as fruit teas and artisan coffees. Yorkshire Tea is bucking that trend.

According to Kevin Sinfield, head of brand marketing at Taylors of Harrogate where Yorkshire Tea is blended, the traditional brew has remained unchanged for 40 years.

Mr Sinfield told the Yorkshire Post: “We still blend to the same taste profile. That’s down to the skill of the tea blender.”

He added: “PG and Tetley have been the market leaders for years and years, so this is quite a landmark moment.

“They are famous British brands and icons of British advertising as well, and we feel this represents quite a shift change.”

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