Care home residents take part in UK’s largest tea tasting for National Tea Day

The event was held by Four Seasons Heath Care Group across all 180 of its care homes in a bid to find a new tea blend by residents’ popular vote.

Having sipped their way through nearly 12 million cups of tea during the pandemic year, the group’s residents are connoisseurs of a good brew.

The popularity of the tea round led Four Seasons Health Care Group to introduce the tea tasting initiative to give residents the power to choose what goes into their tea chest.

On the tasting menu were three blends specially crafted for the care home by the family-run business, Tea From The Manor and include a caffeine-free Chamomile & Rose, alongside more traditional black tea; Blue Lady and Rose Congou.

The humble brew has proved to be a source of comfort during the pandemic, according to more than 2,000 of the nation’s tea drinkers who were surveyed by Four Seasons Health Care.

It found that nearly two thirds (63%) turned to a good cup of tea to help them through three national lockdowns while more than a third (38%) found themselves making a cup more often to help them through the tough times.

Tea connoisseur and care home chief tea taster, resident Patricia Algeo, aged 90, said: “A good cup of tea is all you need to lift your spirits. We drink tea all day long and we’ve lived long enough to know there’s nothing it can’t make better.”

The home’s manager, Clare McCourt, said: “Our residents love a cuppa morning, noon and night. Tea brings us all together and by creating our own special blend, chosen by our residents, it brings new meaning to our special tea moments and celebrates coming through the pandemic.”

The winning blend from the tea tasting event will be announced shortly and launched across all homes in the Four Seasons Health Care Group.