Enjoying a cup of tea is a nice ritual and way to slow down when the world is messy and moving too fast, which seems to be every day in 2025. So, here’s an interesting question: if you heard that there is a “tea alarm” that goes off once a day in the U.K., would you think that was true?
Well, as it turns out, some Americans believe it! After TikTokers living in England shared about this supposed alarm, some U.S.-based TikTok s are fascinated by the concept… and also falling for it. According to Indy100.com, @simplymaryuk wants to get to the bottom of this, and she posted a video where she says, “I have been seeing conflicting stories. What’s the deal with the tea time alarms?” She asks for people to “spill the tea” (I love it). More than a few people told her that of course it’s real because they wouldn’t think it was funny to pretend otherwise.
If you want to smile (and who doesn’t in these dark times), just scroll through various funny TikToks about this idea. @katielinaker writes in her caption, “we are the funniest country ever” and adds, “I’ve never felt more patriotic.” @caseycoyte posted a video saying “POV: You’re German and the UK tea time alarm comes on…”
Of course, the tea alarm is fake, but I still have a question. If you found a spider in your tea cup, like one TikToker did once, does an extra alarm sound? Maybe a new cup of tea appears magically in front of you. That seems like the only right thing.
And maybe this is a good opportunity to think about how easily influenced people can be by social media. When everyone says one thing, it can be scary and nerve-wracking to be the lone voice questioning that. But this is definitely a reminder not to follow the crowd and to use your gut instincts. If a tea alarm had been playing every day in the U.K. for a while, wouldn’t more people have talked about this? How would the logistics even work? Is there a certain kind of tea you’re supposed to drink? It’s clear that this would become problematic and scary… and fast.
So, since so many believed the U.K. has a tea alarm, let’s look at how much tea British people actually drink. A YouGov Food Study from 2022 found that 17% of those living in England consume more than 20 weekly cups of tea. According to the UK Tea and Infusions Association’s 2024 Tea Census Study (say that a few times fast) in 2024, 98% have tea daily. This study dives deep and found that 16% drink loose leaf tea, 84% want a tea bag, and 24% skip milk and go for black tea. Americans love tea, too, though. As the Tea Association of the U.S.A. shared, more than 159 million Americans consume tea each day.
Well, a tea alarm might not actually exist, but what about a coffee alarm? Imagine if once a day, you were supposed to take a break from work and make a hot cup of joe? Now that’s a rule I can get behind. Hey, according to The Guardian, 59% in the U.K. said they drink tea the most, and 63% say coffee. Forget a daily alarm, let’s have a showdown between the two most beloved hot beverages!
Published: Mar 13, 2025 11:50 am