How much is the tea market worth in the UK
When people think of Great Britain, one of the first things that comes to mind is tea.
Tea first arrived on these shores in the 17th century and did not take long to become one of the most popular drinks around.
But what is the situation now? Let’s take a look to see just big the market is in the UK.
Types of tea
Tea is big business. It’s a product that goes far beyond the popular black tea you enjoy with a splash of milk too. Green tea has become increasingly popular in recent years, for example. There’s also herbal, white, rooibos and oolong tea to name but a few.
Since 2010
With so many different varieties of tea, you can understand why so much of it gets sold.
The UK market alone generated revenue of £1.5 billion in 2020, according to data from Statista – a 14% decline on 2019.
This was largely down to the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit consumers and manufacturers across the entire globe.
This decade
The market has only this year recovered to its previous levels, but a period of growth has now been forecast.
While it has taken two years to recover from the pandemic, the market is already worth more than it was in the mid-2010s.
That trajectory is set to continue, with the industry expected to be worth almost £1.9bn by 2025.
Where does the UK get its tea?
The vast majority of the tea sold in the UK is imported from abroad, with China, India and Kenya the leading producers last year.
Tea imports in the UK have fluctuated since the turn of the millennium, from a low of £150 million in 2005 to a high of £314m in 2017.
Since then, however, the value of imports to the UK has dropped, with 2021 producing the lowest figure since 2008.
Does the UK export tea?
The answer is yes, and previously quite a bit of it too!
In 2010, the UK exported £212m worth of tea – an increase of around 80% from 2001. From that peak, though, exports dipped dramatically and were at £93m just four years later.
The value has remained around that level since then, meaning it is significantly outstripped by the value of imports. That has been the case throughout this century.
