Credit crunch taking Brit tea drinkers towards builders' tea

London, Jan 16 (ANI): In the face of the ongoing credit crunch, British tea drinkers are taking a reverse gear in taste and picking up the traditional builders' tea instead of fine brews, reveals a company.

Twinings, the tea company that traces its origins back more than 300 years, said that there has been a downturn in the sales of premium teas in recent years as the economic slowdown forced drinkers to opt for cheaper alternatives.

The company said that tea drinkers in the UK and the United States preferred 'everyday' tea instead of more expensive brands these days.

As a result, even major supermarket chains including Tesco have launched their own budget tea ranges in order to profit from the trend.

The slowdown in sales has come as a major blow to the tea sector, after it was hit by the collapse of tea and coffee specialist Whittard of Chelsea shortly before Christmas. (ANI)