What is the most popular breakfast drink

A.� Tea has always been the UK's favourite drink, but it's losing its place at breakfast to fruit juice. Research shows tea and a traditional fry-up have been replaced by muesli and a vitamin-packed fruit juice drink. Tea is also being replaced by canned drinks and fizzy energy drinks with vitamins, minerals and herbs, at other times of�the day.

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Q.� How much tea is drunk in Britain

A.� A survey by Mintel has found average weekly consumption of tea has fallen from 46 grams per person in 1989 to just 32 grams in 1999. Total UK consumption is down from 130,500 tons in 1997 to an estimated 123,600 tons last year, with the figure expected to fall another 6.180 tons a year by 2005. The industry is planning a marketing campaign to encourage more tea drinkers.

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Q.� When did tea first arrive in this country

A.� Public sale of tea began in London in 1657. it was originally advertised as a cure for apoplexy, catarrh, colic, consumption, drowsiness, epilepsy, gallstones and lethargy. It was discovered in 2737 BC by a Chinese emporor when leaves accidentally blew into a pot of boiling water. The first English mention was in 1597 in a translation of Dutch navigator Jan Hugo van Lin-Schooten's Travels.

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By 1797 tea consumption in England had reached an annual rate of two pounds per capita. In 1826, English Quaker John Horniman introduced the first tea to be sold in sealed containers under a brand name.

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In 1904 tea bags were pioneered by New York tea and coffee shop merchant Thomas SUllivan. he sent sampl,es of his blends to customers on small hand-swen muslin bags.

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Q.� Who sells the most tea in the UK

A.� Tea companies are remarketing the drink because it is said to have beneficial health effects. It's thought it can prevent some cancers, and protect against heart disease and strikes. The three main manufacturers will emphasise its anti-oxidant qualities. They are Van den Bergh Foods, which owns PG Tips makers Brooke Bond, the Tetley Group and Premier International Foods, which produces Typhoo.

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Q.� How do you make tea bread

A.� Tea bread is a straightforward fruit loaf, which can eaten with butter or toasted. You will need:

8oz (225g) raisins

8oz (225g) currants

8oz (225g) sultanas

4oz (110g) whole candied peel

8oz (225g) demerera sugar

10fl oz Lapsong Souchang, Earl Grey or other hot tea

4oz (110g) pecan nuts

1 large beaten egg with two tablespoons of milk

1 lb self-raising flour

This recipe makes two small loaves - you will need two 1lb tins.

The evening before. place all the fruits in a bowl, dissolve the sugar in hot tea, pour over the fruit, cover and leave overnight. The next day, preheat the oven to 325F (170C), then place nuts on a baking tray, and bake in the oven for about six minutes. Chop when cool. Add beaten egg to bowl containing fruits, then sift the flour, add the toasted nuts and mix well. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for about one hours. They should feel springy in the centre. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.

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By Katharine MacColl