Empire of Tea

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Sathnam Sanghera tells the story of our national drink and its imperial past.

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Empire of Tea: 2. Tea at Work

2. Tea at Work

BBC Radio 4 - Empire of Tea, 2. Tea at Work

From fuelling the industrial revolution to the mid-morning break.

From fuelling the industrial revolution to the mid-morning break, how tea became essential in the workplace.

During the industrial revolution workers were powered by very sugary tea. Historian Lizzie Collingham tells Sathnam Sanghera about the economic forces that led people to the drink, and what that meant for their health.
Then, moving into the 20th Century, Sathnam discusses the rise of the tea break with help from staff in the break room at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital. 
And Peter Turnbull of Bristol University analyses how the right to a tea break sometimes became a source of tension in industrial relations.

Produced by Paul Martin for BBC Audio Wales

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Empire of Tea

2. Tea at Work

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