2. Tea At Work

During the industrial revolution workers were powered by very sugary tea.

Historian Lizzie Collingham tells Sathnam Sanghera about the economic forces that led people to the drink, and what that meant for their health.

Then, moving into the 20th Century, Sathnam discusses the rise of the tea break with help from staff in the break room at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital.

And Peter Turnbull of Bristol University analyses how the right to a tea break sometimes became a source of tension in industrial relations.

Producer: Paul Martin

A BBC Audio Wales production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2023.