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2. Tea At Work

From fuelling the industrial revolution to elevenses, Sathnam Sanghera asks how tea became vital in the workplace. From 2023.

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.

Producer: Paul Martin

A ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Audio Wales production, first broadcast on Radio 4 in December 2023.

Available now

14 minutes

On radio

Tue 30 Sep 2025 09:30

Broadcasts

  • Tue 5 Dec 2023 13:45
  • Thu 20 Jun 2024 21:45
  • Tue 30 Sep 2025 09:30