Life> no use

Return of the traditional tea party sees cake sales soar

(Daily Mail)
Updated: 2007-04-26 10:18

Afternoon tea is coming back into fashion, the UK's biggest supermarket chain said today.

Tesco reported increased sales of Earl Grey and other speciality teas, cream cakes and teapots.

The tradition's revival follows years of decline due to the popularity of American-style coffee shops, the chain said.

Demand for cream cakes has risen by 85% in the last year, while sales of teapots, cups and saucers are up 110 per cent.

Speciality teas such as Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Ceylon and Assam have seen a 15 per cent upturn over the past year, Tesco said.

The chain's cake range buyer Liz Cobbold said fast food culture and American coffee shops had all but killed off afternoon tea a decade ago.

"Now all that is changing and we are seeing the dawning of a new era of this great social tradition, with increasing demand for typical afternoon tea patisseries such as scones, specialised exotic teas and related crockery," she said.

Around ￡115 million worth of cream cakes were sold in the UK last year, making them the nation's favourite shop-bought dessert, recent research by analysts Mintel found.