Saving the working day tea break one biscuit at a time
SCOTTISH brand McGhee’s Family Bakers and Edinburgh-based tea and coffee firm Brodies have teamed up to help save the tea break during workers’ days.
Following a new survey of 1,000 Scottish adults commissioned by McGhee’s, around 53% of respondents all believe that the traditional tea break culture in the office is at risk of being lost amid increased workloads, busy schedules and constant connectivity all cited as factors in this.
But while this time-honoured tradition may be disappearing, there is still an appetite for the tea break. Around one in three Scots (29%) all said they are most likely to have a snack between 2pm and 3:59pm, making it the most popular time of day for a tea break.
With this in mind, McGhee’s and Brodies have teamed up to offer some of Scotland’s hardest workers the chance to take a break with a cuppa and some good biscuits on the side.
The pair have asked people to nominate someone they believe deserves a proper tea break, whether it’s a colleague who never leaves their desk or someone who is always putting others before themselves.
Nominations can be made by emailing teabreak@mcgheesbakery.co.uk, with selected nominees set to receive an emergency tea break pack containing individually wrapped McGhee’s treats and individually wrapped Brodies Breakfast tea bags.
The new activation comes at a time of clear popularity for the McGhee’s brand in Scotland following new Worldpanel by Numerator research which saw them rise to the No.1 spot in the Scottish Brand Footprint data.
To help mark this launch, both Aisling McGhee, commercial director at McGhee’s, and Mina MacKenzie, retail partner manager at Brodies, were out in force in Glasgow’s Central Station and handed out emergency tea break packs at the train station, with imagery featuring the giveaway.
Speaking on the activation, MacKenzie said: “Tea has always had a place at the heart of the working day, and a tea break can bring people together without anyone really thinking about it.
“What’s interesting about the research is that people are still reaching for a treat in the afternoon, but the time to actually stop and enjoy it is disappearing.
“We all know someone who is always too busy to take a break, so we’re giving people the chance to nominate them for one.”
McGhee echoed these comments and said: “Tea breaks have always been part of working life in Scotland. They give people a reason to stop, catch up with the people around them and take a proper breather.
“It’s too easy for that to disappear when everyone is busy, constantly connected, and expected to be always available, but we shouldn’t lose something that has been part of Scottish working life for generations simply because we feel we don’t have time for it.
“We wanted to give people a chance to recognise someone who rarely gets the chance to stop and say: you deserve five minutes and a cup of tea too.”
