CUPPA PRICE TO SOAR IN TEA LEAF SHORTAGE

THE COST of a humble cuppa is set to soar due to a shortage of tea leaves.

It is bad news for Britain’s millions of tea drinkers with increases already being felt in supermarkets.

But consumers have so far been sheltered from the worst of the hit, according to new research.

Kenyan tea now costs 21 per cent more than it did this time last year, while Sri Lankan tea is up 25 per cent, said The Grocer trade ­magazine.

Both countries have been hit by serious supply shortages and the situation is likely to get even worse in the next month, experts have warned.

The increase has been sparked by dry weather conditions which have forced tea prices to a record high.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has issued a warning of a “significant shortfall” because of the heatwaves and late spring rains.

And prices are already rising – as are those of milk, sugar, and coffee, according to The Grocer – putting the quintessential British experience of afternoon tea under threat. Overall, the price of tea has soared by more than a third (35 per cent) in the past year due to debilitating drought conditions across the key export countries.

Promotions involving price cuts have helped keep increases down but they can only go so far, The Grocer added.

The shortage means the price of favourite brands could rise from around £3 for a box of 160 tea bags to £3.40.

Unilever, owner of PG Tips, is raising prices by between 10 and 15 per cent on its range. Other brands are likely to ­follow.

“Major black tea-producing countries have continued to record lower production owing to dry weather conditions,” Sicily Kariuki, managing director of the Tea Board of Kenya, confirmed.

Tea traders expect prices to rise even further this summer.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/110298/Cuppa-price-to-soar-in-tea-leaf-shortage

Tea is just nasty

I always like to have a nice hot cup in the morning,sets you up for the day and clears you out. When the pound shop in Street was closing down they were selling of packets of eighty teabags at 25p. I cleared the shelve.

25p each??

Yep. Damn good value though. One teabag makes a nice strong cuppa.

Fuck me, I can't be having with all of this. It's bad enough with Mr Am's smoking, but if his tea habit starts to cost more he'll just have to do without food.

I do love a cuppa though.

Amulet wrote:

Fuck me, I can't be having with all of this. It's bad enough with Mr Am's smoking, but if his tea habit starts to cost more he'll just have to do without food.

I do love a cuppa though.

Earl Grey with soya milk - yum!

If only the tea growers and pickers could see some of the benefit.

Don't like Earl Grey, but I have a cuppa of co-op fairtrade tea with provamel soya milk and an iced ring doughnut!

Amulet wrote:

Don't like Earl Grey, but I have a cuppa of co-op fairtrade tea with provamel soya milk and an iced ring doughnut!

You were doing so well up until the ring doughnut!

Amulet wrote:

Don't like Earl Grey, but I have a cuppa of co-op fairtrade tea with provamel soya milk and an iced ring doughnut!

Why is Nisa/Heritage Foods so shit since Co-op took over? I was hoping they'd start stocking some decent vegan wines for a change, but thus far nowt.

TheCat wrote:

Amulet wrote:

Don't like Earl Grey, but I have a cuppa of co-op fairtrade tea with provamel soya milk and an iced ring doughnut!

You were doing so well up until the ring doughnut!

What about chocolate fingers?

It's early days yet. I reckon it'll get better. The salads and sandwiches they are selling are great, as are their bottled beers.
However, they do need to lay off the staff for having piercings.

Amulet wrote:

It's early days yet. I reckon it'll get better. The salads and sandwiches they are selling are great, as are their bottled beers.
However, they do need to lay off the staff for having piercings.

I never see the point in buying sandwiches - so much better to make your own.

And anyone with piercings deserves to be laid off I agree.

Amulet wrote:

they do need to lay off the staff for having piercings.

Do they do the piercings live in the store?

TheCat wrote:

Amulet wrote:

they do need to lay off the staff for having piercings.

Do they do the piercings live in the store?

Piercings while you wait!

What I meant was that they need to stop giving them grief about it, not sack them! It wasn't a problem when they were working for Nisa.

And if you want piercings while you wait, you need to wait in my studio.

Amulet wrote:

What I meant was that they need to stop giving them grief about it, not sack them!

I know what you meant - but you don't really expect a sensible answer from me do you?

Not from a squirrel, no.

TheCat wrote:

Tea is just nasty

Not just nasty, it's pure evil.

What about"What about chocolate fingers".

The easy answer is to get thicker toilet paper. Now my uncle has a good deal going at the moment,it's a bogof.