COMEDY double act James May and Oz Clarke finally revealed at the end of their TV odyssey this week what they think is the drink that defines Britain.

But there were surely no surprises when they chose tea.

Admittedly, the British pint may have given it a run for the money, and while gin has helped sustain an empire, cider has kept up the spirits of farmers for centuries and whisky has warmed up the cockles of Scotsmen all over the world, it’s tea that got the chirpy twosome’s vote.

“It invigorates the nation,” waxed a lyrical May. “It allows no hindrance to its enjoyment on the basis of class, race, education, income or geographical location. It gets things done. It’s something that unites the people of this nation, and it’s something other nations simply don’t get.”

He may have a point. After all we get through 165 million cups a day, according to the UK Tea Council. On average, that’s around three cups a day each, with about 70per cent of the UK population drinking tea on a regular basis.

And there are lots of good reasons for that. Tea drinkers have long believed their cuppa has relaxing and reviving properties and a splash of caffeine can indeed increase concentration and alertness.

Tea is apparently a natural source of fluoride and in moderation can help protect teeth and gums. It is also the biggest source of flavonoids in the UK diet. These are compounds with antioxidant properties which may help to protect the body’s cells against damage.

And if that weren’t enough, in these credit crunch times it is also a bargain brew. Sales of regular teas are soaring. With a pack of 80 tea bags at around £1.60 that’s under 2p per cup

We’re with you Oz and James. Thousands of builders and plumbers can’t be wrong!