Why the British Switched from Coffee to Tea

Ever wondered why the British, surrounded by some of the world’s biggest coffee drinkers, fell hard for tea instead? While Nordic countries like Finland and Norway top global coffee consumption charts, Britain—right in their midst—chose tea. What shifted their preference, and why did coffee never quite stick?

In short: Britain loved coffee once, but a deadly fungus wiped out its 19th-century Sri Lankan coffee industry, leading planters to switch to tea. By the late 1800s, tea imports skyrocketed, and a deeply rooted tea culture took over—one cup at breakfast, work, and teatime.

A Coffee Culture That Never Rooted

Though today tea rules, coffee wasn’t always a stranger to Britain. The country’s first coffeehouse opened around 1760, and by the late 17th century, London alone hosted over 2,000 coffee shops. These were vibrant hubs of debate, known as ‘penny universities’—you paid a penny for coffee, news, and conversation.

But Britain’s climate was never suited to growing coffee. Coffee trees thrive between 25°N and 25°S, needing mild, wet conditions and no frost—impossible in the UK, which reaches up to 50°N. So coffee had to be imported.

The Dutch Coffee Monopoly and Sri Lanka’s Role

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch dominated global coffee trade, sourcing beans from their colonies: Indonesia, Suriname, and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). Sri Lanka’s central highlands, between 5°N and 10°N, offered ideal altitude, climate, and soil—perfect for coffee. The Dutch started cultivating it there, and the British, importing from them, drank Dutch-grown Ceylon coffee for over a century.

When the Netherlands lost control of Ceylon in the 19th century, Britain took over. Keen to profit, they aggressively expanded coffee farming, moving into high-altitude forests. Between the 1830s and 1860s, coffee plantations doubled, then doubled again by the 1880s—to nearly 1,600 square kilometers. About 15% of Ceylon’s farmland grew coffee. Exports surged 20-fold between 1840 and 1870.

The Fall: Coffee Rust Disease

But in 1875, disaster struck. Coffee leaf rust—a fungal disease that creates yellow spots, then brown rust-like lesions—spread through Ceylon’s coffee trees. Infected leaves died, and trees followed within years. Despite efforts, nothing stopped it.

With no cure, Ceylon’s planters switched crops. Tea bushes, well-suited to the same terrain and resistant to rust, replaced coffee. The British, now importing from their new tea colony, helped turn Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) into a global tea powerhouse—and gave the world the famed ‘Ceylon tea.’

From Elite Sip to Everyday Brew

Britain’s shift to tea wasn’t instant—but the numbers tell the story. In 1699, official tea imports were just 6 tons. By 1799, over 10,000 tons entered officially, with unofficial estimates nearing 20,000 tons by the century’s end. Everyone drank it: aristocrats, laborers, even beggars.

Tea wasn’t just for ladies’ luncheons. The real British staple was ‘builder’s tea’—black tea in a big mug, brewed strong, with milk and sugar. This working-class favorite became a national institution.

Then there’s ‘teatime.’ At 4 PM sharp, everything stops. Originally a rural break with bread and high tables (hence ‘high tea’), it’s now a formal affair in posh restaurants. But regardless of class, Brits punctuate the day with tea: ‘bedtime tea,’ ‘breakfast tea’ (or ‘eye-opener’), ‘morning break tea,’ ‘afternoon tea,’ and ‘evening farewell tea.’

The average Brit drinks four cups of black tea daily—that’s about 3.5 kilograms of tea per person per year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the British start drinking tea instead of coffee?

The British began drinking more tea due to a combination of disrupted coffee supplies and historical trade shifts. A coffee rust fungus devastated Ceylon’s (Sri Lanka’s) coffee plantations in the 1870s, leading planters to replace coffee with tea bushes. As the British controlled the island, tea imports surged, making tea more available and affordable than coffee.

Was coffee ever popular in Britain?

Yes, coffee was very popular in 17th- and 18th-century Britain. By the late 1600s, London had over 2,000 coffeehouses, which served as key social and information hubs. Coffee was especially common among intellectuals and the middle class, earning cafés the nickname ‘penny universities.’

What happened to Ceylon’s coffee industry?

Ceylon’s coffee industry collapsed in the 1870s after a devastating outbreak of coffee leaf rust disease. The fungal infection destroyed coffee trees across the island’s highland plantations. Since recovery was impossible, planters replaced coffee with tea, which thrived in the same conditions and resisted the disease.

Why is tea so embedded in British culture?

Tea became embedded in British culture through accessibility, tradition, and ritual. After the switch from coffee to tea in the 19th century, tea drinking became part of daily life—at breakfast, during work breaks, and at 4 PM teatime. Strong black tea with milk and sugar, especially ‘builder’s tea,’ became a national staple.

Which countries drink the most coffee per person?

The top coffee-consuming countries per capita include Finland (first), Norway (second), Iceland (third), Denmark (fourth), and the Netherlands (sixth). These Nordic and northern European nations drink significantly more coffee daily than the British, who favor tea.

What is builder’s tea?

Builder’s tea is a strong black tea brewed in a large mug with a tea bag, typically served with milk and sugar. It originated among manual laborers, especially construction workers, during the Industrial Revolution and remains a quintessential British working-class drink.

Recommended FrontStreet Coffee for Tea Lovers

If you’re curious how coffee culture could have taken root in the UK, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Classic Blend for a balanced black tea-like cup, their Black Cocoa Blend for a rich, malty profile akin to milk tea, or the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe for bright floral notes that contrast traditional British brews. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.