You know the feeling: you get home from a long day at the office, kick off your heels, run a hot bath and fix yourself...a nice cup of tea? Apparently so, as new research shows that herbal teas are on the rise, and even replacing alcohol as our evening drink.

Tea experts Whittard of Chelsea has just released figures revealing that the sales of their health teas, such as Lemon, Ginger and Echinacea or Fennel, Liquorice and Aniseed, have increased by 60% this January compared to the same month last year.

They also noticed that last year people were buying a lot of fruit and berry flavours, but this year people are supping on more complex infusions with health promoting, medicinal qualities.

Investigating the trend further, the Whittard team found that people have increased their consumption of tea at home, with many people swapping their evening tipple for a cup of tea instead. Health concerns also seem to be a factor, which is no surprise considering January is considered to be 'health kick' month.

The trend was further confirmed by afternoon tea afeccionados The Dorchester who confirmed that they’d seen a great surge towards herbal teas; so much so that they have introduced a special herbal tea menu.

Tea is renowned for having several health giving properties as it’s rich in antioxidents, with specific teas even helping to combat nausea, heartburn, indigestion, improves digestion and some promote relaxation and helps you to get a good night’s sleep.

Fancy a cuppa? Take a look at our pick of the top teas here.

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