If there's one thing we all know to be true, it's that pretty much anything can be solved with a good cup of tea.
10 signs you’re utterly obsessed with tea
A refreshing mug of the good stuff sets you up for the day, helping you to face whatever challenges get thrown at you – whether that's the hangover from hell, a last-minute work deadline or a day stuck indoors with the kids throwing an almighty temper tantrum.
Some people might even say you're addicted to tea, and well, they might not be wrong. Here are a few key signs to look out for…
1. You can't possibly start the day without a brew
Let's face it, tea is the elixir of life. Without your morning cuppa, you might as well still be asleep. Everyone in your household knows not to utter a single word in your direction until you've drained your first cup – otherwise there'll be hell to pay.
2. 'Milk no sugar' is your most used phrase
If you had a pound for every time you'd bellowed this in the direction of the kitchen, you'd be a very rich person. You're also not afraid to let everyone know you're 'gasping for a cuppa', until someone in your family cracks and offers to make one for you.
3. You drink boiling hot tea, even in the height of summer
People think you're odd for sitting in the garden with a hot drink in 30 degree heat, but your commitment to tea can't be shaken by the changing of seasons. Come rain or shine, you'll have a cuppa in your hand.
4. You're outraged when you go to people's houses and they don't have tea
Seriously. Who are these impolite people that don't keep a tin of emergency teabags on hand for passing guests or labourers? It's a sure-fire way to get themselves taken off your Christmas card list.
5. You can't understand why your friends have started drinking coffee
…but you know it probably has something to do with how trendy coffee has become. You don't care how fancy an oat milk latte looks on Instagram; what tea might be lacking in style, it more than makes up for in substance.
6. You genuinely get offended when people say they don't like tea
In fact, it often prompts you to launch into an overbearing lecture where you question if they've really tried tea, and whether (as you suspect) they've been ruining the flavour with too much milk and sugar. Tea can easily be overlooked by the untrained palate.
8. You're a bit ashamed by how many teabags you get through every week
You could easily plough through a family-sized pack on your own.
9. Everyone knows how particular you are about tea-making methods
Watching yourself make a good cup of tea is like seeing an artist at work. You know the perfect steeping time, you've got a little technique for getting the right milk to water ratio and you always pair your tea with the best biscuits. In fact, people often compliment you on how superior your brews taste.
10. So, you can't stand it when someone makes a bad cup of tea
Removing the tea bag prematurely, straining the bag too hard, not stirring the tea properly… there's a list of tea sins that you simply will not tolerate. And don't get us started on those strange people who put the milk in first. Remember people, milk last. Otherwise, you'll end up pouring the whole thing down the sink.