Tea’s decline is blamed on competition from new products such as fruit teas and the growing range of cold drinks from mineral water and fruit juices to sodas, which means that young people are increasingly not getting into the tea-drinking habit.

Health concerns have also hit sales. In contrast, sales of caffeine-free herbal and fruit teas rose by up to 50%. Despite tea’s popularity, a survey by the consumer research group Mintel shows that almost 80% of Britons still drink tea. In the over-65 age group that figure is 85%. Of those aged 15 to 24, just 72% drink tea.

Ellen Shiels, the senior market analyst at Mintel, said: “There is a need by manufacturers to make traditional tea more of a fashionable beverage. The tea market has become more segmented, trying to be many things to more people.”