‘Builders Tea’ - a term still fit for purpose?

Back in July, as builders moved onto my land and into my life, I found myself questioning whether  what I see as a British term ‘builders tea’ was any longer fit for purpose.  Previous experiences with builders working on long projects on different homes where I have lived, established an understanding that their beverage of choice was tea which was always white, and came with two sugars.  However a decade has since past and in that time the great global coffee revolution has taken place.  Being a drinker of tea only I did not stop to think ,and on the first day of the build, off I  naïvely nipped to purchase tea suitable for a building site.  This tea would be made in the mug rather than the pot, but would not involve pyramid shaped bags, or be ‘of’ a particular ‘shire.’  Once home, and in anticipation of their need of a morning brew, I duly filled the kettle and took orders.  As stated I do not drink coffee but I do, for emergencies, keep a small jar at the back of the cupboard.  On this morning I was thankful for the ‘back of the cupboard concept!!!  All requested coffee, only one requested sugar, and no one requested milk.  I was stumped. 

The duration of the ongoing build has required several purchases of large jars of coffee.  I take a punt each time, and select something that is aesthetically pleasing.  The box of twinnings breakfast tea bags has been opened - useful for when additional trades have come to ‘first fix’ or brick lay – but it is sadly neglected at the top of the cupboard.  Today witnessed windows being fitted, and with it came a serious building site tea drinker; white with one sugar… but I’ll settled for that. 

Interestingly the regular building team were born locally and appear to aspire to the Italian way of life, whereas my tea drinker of today was of polish decent and seemed, through his choice of beverage, to have fully integrated into the way of the British Building site. 

In regard to work ethic all worked with precision, focus and skill, and in a manner which required frequent filling of the kettle – with today’s weather hands needed to be warmed up J