British tea company Birchall has announced its plans for a £1 million marketing investment in its first ever TV campaign. The family-owned company will also release a series of short films that were shot in East Africa earlier this year, showcasing the people, places, and conservation behind their award-winning breakfast tea.
According to a new YouGov research commissioned by Birchall, Britons are becoming increasingly discerning about their coffee, but when it comes to tea, they rarely consider its origins. The research revealed that taste is the most important factor for 60% of UK adults when buying tea, the same as for coffee. However, the purchasing habits for tea are largely driven by habit, with 41% of buyers sticking to the same brand they have always bought or one that they grew up with.
In an effort to change this, Birchall Tea is launching its biggest brand campaign this September. As the first UK tea brand to win 16 consecutive Great Taste Awards, Birchall is urging more people to think about tea in the same way they do about specialty coffee – by considering where it comes from, how it’s grown, and why origin matters.
The campaign will feature a new six-part film series, with each episode lasting around two minutes, that follows fifth-generation tea expert Dan Graham and conservation leaders supported by Tusk. The films take viewers on a journey through Rwanda and Kenya, exploring the landscapes, people, and conservation efforts behind exceptional East African tea.
The series showcases Birchall’s Great Rift Breakfast Tea, which has won 101 Great Taste Awards since 2011, making it Britain’s most awarded breakfast tea for taste. The films also highlight Birchall’s partnership with African wildlife conservation charity Tusk, with a contribution from every pack of Great Rift Tea sold going towards supporting their conservation work.
In addition to the film series, Birchall will also launch its first ever television advert on ITV1, introducing viewers to the story behind Great Rift Breakfast Tea.
Managing Director of Birchall Tea, Dan Graham, said, “For years, tea has largely been bought out of habit. Our new research bears that out, with over 40% of tea buyers sticking with the tea they’ve always bought or a brand they grew up with. Yet taste is still the single biggest consideration when people buy tea. We want to encourage people to think more about what creates that taste, and to start asking the same questions they ask about coffee: where was it grown, who produced it and what makes it special? Great tea has an incredible story to tell, and we think it’s time more people discovered it.”
The YouGov research also revealed that tea-buying habits become more entrenched with age, with younger tea drinkers being more willing to experiment with different teas and brands. Londoners are also among Britain’s more provenance-conscious tea buyers, with 12% considering the country or region of origin when buying tea.
The research was conducted among 2,091 UK adults online on 25-26 August 2026 and was weighted to be representative of all UK adults aged 18+. The findings relating to how people usually choose their tea are based on 1,609 respondents who buy tea.
