Is there anything more English than a nice cup of tea? Actually, tea isn't particularly English at all; it's not a native plant, and it only began to be drank in earnest from the 19th century, when British interests controlled tea production in India. We are now some of the most dedicated drinkers of tea in the world, consuming around 2.5 kilos each, every year!

Celebrating tea celebrates the influence of other countries and cultures on our British way of life, as shown in the stamp below from 2005, issued as part of the Changing Tastes in Britain series. Swiss illustration student Catell Ronca was chosen to represent the diversity of British food and drink today.

Illustration

Woman drinking tea stamp, 2005