(Q) How many cuppas does it take to build a house? (A) 9,500

Published on Monday 26 November 2007 00:19

MOST people will agree that nothing gets done without a cup of tea.

From climbing out of bed in the morning to making it through the busy working day, a cuppa helps keep Britain on its toes. But now a study has revealed exactly how much tea it takes to get a job done.

Building the average three-bedroom semi-detached home takes about 9,500 cups of tea.

For a more ambitious project, such as the 800 million restoration of London's St Pancras station, you'll need a whopping six million cups of tea to keep the "brickies" happy.

Building the Scottish Parliament is believed to have required at least four million cups, while putting out an edition of The Scotsman each day involves about 2,500 cups.

The new survey also found that tea plays a vital role, with 80 per cent of people claiming they find out more about what is going on at work over a cup of tea than in any other way.

Examining the stereotype of labourers clasping their steaming mugs of tea, more than 100 building firms were canvassed over their workers' drinking habits.

The results show that a cup of strong tea still plays a healthy role in the daily life of workers.

The survey suggests builders take an average of four tea breaks each day. It is often young apprentices who do the brewing, with the daily ritual said to also encourage bonding between workers.

Builders said the beverage made them more productive, with nearly seven in 10 (68 per cent) insisting tea had relaxing and stress-relieving properties.

Despite the common belief that builders' tea comes with milk and several sugars, more than four in 10 say they don't take any sugar, and fewer than a third like two sugars or more.

The research was commissioned by Make Mine A Builders, a new brand of tea.

Richard Gowar, the firm's managing director, said: "Tea has been the drink of choice for builders in the UK for many years, and as the survey results show it still plays an important role in the daily life of British builders today.

"It is great to know that we are keeping the tradition alive."

Jonathan Brown, editor of e-newsletter Scottish Construction Now!, agreed tea drinking remains a key part of the day. He said: "Many people enjoy a hit of caffeine to sharpen their performance."

But he lamented the end of the "traditional tea break with people playing cards" on sites.

Graham Kelly, the managing director of Thomas Johnson, a shop-fitting firm that has worked on sites including Edinburgh Castle and Gatwick Airport, said fizzy drinks and even "fancy" coffees were now growing in popularity.

He said: "A man might want to have a cup of tea before he starts, then at 10am, then he has one with his lunch, but could he go for a fourth cup of tea? That might be stretching it nowadays. Guys have got far more options then just a cup of tea ... they will buy their cappuccino and latte."

Tea breaks are a tradition that have been with us for 200 years.

Britons drink an average of three cups a day, with the country going through 165 million annually.