Does everything still stop for tea?

And in the south, half of those surveyed take two or more tea and coffee breaks each day.

Of those that take tea or coffee breaks, nearly a third reckon that cuppa replenishes their energy levels and helps them to keep going with the rest of their day.

Of the 11 per cent of all UK adults who claimed to never take tea or coffee breaks, the top reasons given were that they did not drink tea or coffee (37 per cent), they were too busy (24 per cent) or they just grab a hot drink on the go (26 per cent).

Chartered occupational psychologist David Craigie says: “Life is getting harder and harder for many people. We now have so many demands on our time and the tough economic situation means more of us have to work longer hours or meet even more targets.

“The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that where possible, employees should have a say on when their breaks are taken. This feeling of control over our work pattern can really help protect against stress, but also, it allows us to pause, reflect, have time out and recharge our batteries.

“Connecting with others in a moment of relaxation can also improve the atmosphere at work and help us feel more energised when we get back to our to-do lists.”

The survey was commissioned by Paterson Arran, Scottish bakers and producers of shortbread, oatcakes, jams, chutney and relishes.

“We wanted to develop an alternative shortbread snack ideal for those short breaks. It has gone down an absolute treat in our consumer focus groups, and we’re looking forward to rolling at over the summer”.