Despite lingering images of weak brew and ham sandwiches in your grandparents' front parlour, tea is making a come back, and it's doing it in style. The national beverage is seeing resurgence in demand, fuelling favour for a cultural shift in leisure time based on our favourite brew. A campaign launched in 2005 by the Tea Council has successfully re-educated consumers about the health benefits of their daily cuppa and aided buy-in both from the health conscious among us and from a younger customer base. Whether fashionista fancies in the Berkeley to salmon at The Savoy, we are embracing the humble beverage with a penchant for parlour parlay in abundance.

Steeped in far eastern tradition, tea drinking has its roots in Zen Buddhism, a ceremony to purify the soul and regain balance, with the focus on the appreciation of arts and crafts in a serene atmosphere. In China, Tea Houses have been popular since the end of the Ming Dynasty, and served a variety of teas and tea products to customers. Unlike restaurants, Tea Houses do not serve meals but snacks such as dried fruits, tofu, quails eggs and are nuts to balance 'chi'. They are still to this day a place to relax, talk and socialize, with plays and dramas performed to guests whilst supping.

Tea drinking is so much a part of the way of life in China that to ask "have you had your tea yet?" is commonplace before even saying "hello". Since the Chinese began drinking tea 5000 years ago, it has become ingrained in their culture in a myriad of ways and is habitually served to guests as a matter of custom and hospitality.

It is said that there are three main ways to appreciate tea in China; taste, drink and eat. 'Taste Tea' refers to sipping small quantities of high quality leaves and to appreciate the aromas, colours and flavours of tea in small delicate cups; it is indicative of the Chinese cultural goal of the harmony of human beings with nature, and as such has Zen-like qualities in meaning. Indeed, often the quality of water made to use the tea changes the perceived energy of the drink, and it is said that certain green teas need to be served with fountain rainwater for the best refreshment and quality. 'Drink Tea' is a reference to the average quality tea drunk with a large amount of water for daily purposes, and is often carried around in jam jars or flasks for continuous re-hydration throughout the day. 'Eat Tea' is to eat the leaves and to appreciate the texture and flavour of them with a small amount of tea water. Tea is also used as a cooking addition, and features highly in the Chinese culture as a regular additive to traditional cooking, and every meal is finished with a drink of tea, underlining its importance in dining habits.

The Chinese tea ceremony was developed in monasteries and the Tang Dynasty and was later introduced to Japan. The appreciation of scent and taste takes on meditative qualities when the properties of different teas are examined in ambient detail through the senses and is associated with Taoism, the ancient system of classification and cosmology based on the elements. Wood, fire, metal, water and earth are all interlinked with yin-yang properties, and in the Taoist universe they exist in a constantly interacting state of transformation. Since one can engender and also overpower the other, the universe is described in Taoism by all these elements and their interaction, reflected in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Wood is used to burn a fire to heat the iron kettle using leaves from the earth to make tea, and so we see a combination of the Taoist elements in balance through a simple action. The meditative act of supping and considering taste is indicative of self-reflection and bears traits of the Buddhist philosophy of the ultimate state of Nirvana, to attain enlightenment.

In Britain, our notorious love of tea takes on a different form altogether, yet the social aspect of tea drinking is still paramount to our enjoyment of a brew. Despite the fact our cuppa is more likely to be served with milk and sugar than in delicate bowls with dim sum, the restorative qualities of the tealeaf are renowned in British life. "Tea and sympathy" is a well-known phrase to describe discussing ones troubles with a friend over tea, and to "pop in for a cup of tea" is a daily occurrence throughout the nation to initiate social interaction. Our spiritual involvement with tea is more likely to be a reading of the leaves from a silver-crossed bohemian than the Far Eastern Buddhist traditions, yet the act of relaxation and enjoyment is still at the centre of the British tea lovers ritual. The large role played by tea in our colloquial vocabulary also includes the mention of a 'tea break' and to come home for one's 'tea', a reference to food in the early evening which still alludes to our beverage of choice.

British afternoon tea was initially linked with the sugar level drop we all know and love in the afternoon, and was initiated by the Duchess of Bedford in the 19th Century to entertain friends with an 'extra meal' between the traditional 2 meals of the era. Traditional tea rooms have long existed throughout Britain serving sandwiches and cakes with a pot of tea yet in cities, as we have seen, the tea room experience is taking the urbanites by storm at an increasing rate. Our stereotypical British image of working class tea lovers enjoying a strong brew, high tea for the upper classes and a vast range of variants in between is a true indicator of how the exported leaves have impacted our way of life at every strata of social class.

This recent change in perceptions accompanies a current trend for combining business and pleasure with a spot of Earl Grey. Across the nation, hotels, restaurants and tearooms alike are catering for an ever-growing crowd of customers eager to dabble in British eccentricity and the relaxed ritual of afternoon tea, as predicted by The Future Laboratory back in 2003. Business meetings with tea and cake are a relaxed alternative to the power breakfasts and lunches of yester years, allowing a serene environment for decision-making and discussions. Coffee shop culture has its place in our neo-American/European fusion, but the humble tealeaf floats back to the surface with a vengeance. The contemporary evolution and merging of the Far Eastern and traditional British cultures has inspired a huge variety of environments from which to sup, the best of which are reviewed and awarded recognition nationwide on the Tea Council website.

Bookings for the Ritz and Savoy have 6 week lead times, and other contenders in the arena are making their mark. The Soho Hotel, media darlings favourite, is among a list of top hotels including The Dorchester and The Landsdowne to offer their particular blend of afternoon fun. The Tea Palace on Westbourne Grove is a recent addition to the map, offering a vast range of beverages in a holistically inspired environment. Their mission vision describes that the Palace is "about tea in all its guises from the finest Earl Grey, to the rarest hand-tied Chinese green tea to herbal infusions made with Whole Organic Chamomile Flowers", indicating the diversity of the teas available, a veritable sensory celebration. The Berkeley Hotel is a fashion favourite, with the "Prêt-à-Portea" menu offering couture cakes and fancies in suitably sized calorie conscious portions based on Autumn/Winter '05 designer collections, truly bite-sized fashion at its best.

So, in our society embracing downshifting and flexible working, the place of afternoon tea is being rediscovered among businessmen, ladies who lunch, the Sloane set and your Nan alike. It bridges social divides, class barriers and global cultures and philosophies to make the most of the afternoon in the way we know best. Could you pass the milk please?