With research finding that a staggering 43% of lottery winners switch on the kettle to celebrate their life changing moment, The National Lottery has joined forces with experts at the UK’s leading tea brand, Tetley Tea, to create a special gold-star infused tea blend – called Winners Brew – for lottery winners.

It would be a natural assumption that lottery winners, who are often seen in the media spraying champagne following their win, would choose a glass of fizz in the moments after they realise they have won. However research by The National Lottery has found that an astonishing number of winners snub the bubbles and instead turn to the humble cuppa upon discovering their big news, with just 11% opting for champagne.

When the winners were asked why, they said they found a cup of tea warm and comforting, giving them time to collect their thoughts. 

The exclusive tea, produced by Tetley, is made from leaves specially selected from the highest altitude and high quality tea estates around Mount Kenya and the Great Rift Valley to help provide a calming and soothing sensation for lottery winners.

Each handmade teabag also has a sprinkling of real gold leaf stars, adding a bit of National Lottery sparkle to every cup.

And a group of lottery winners, who each celebrated their big win last year with a cup of tea, were among the first to try the Winners Brew. Kevin and Michele Jones, from Crewe, who scooped the ?6.1m Lotto jackpot in May 2016; Natalie and Andrew Cunliffe, from Blackpool, who won ?1m on a National Lottery Scratchcard in February 2016 and Phillip and Joanne Poultney, from the Isle of Man, who won ?1m on EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker in September 2016, were invited to sample the new brand and give their verdicts.

Philip said: “You experience every feeling imaginable in that moment you discover you have won. One point, you want to shout from the rooftops, the next you just want to cry. It is just so unbelievable.

“Tea really helped to bring us back to reality and let the news sink in. There’s just something about a warm brew that takes all your worries and stresses away.”

The Winners Brew blend will be delivered to lottery winners so they can sit back, relax and calm their nerves with a very special cuppa. A limited number of packs will also be available via The National Lottery and Tetley’s social media platforms.

Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at The National Lottery, said, “We made a record breaking 347 millionaires last year and see a wide range of emotions from winners when we pay them their prize. Winners can be dancing around the house, squealing with excitement, sobbing tears of joy or even stunned into silence – winning really can be a roller-coaster and every situation is different.

“The one thing many winners have in common is that they pop the kettle on for a calming cuppa. To celebrate this typically British trait we teamed up with the expert blenders at Tetley to create a unique ‘Winners Brew’ to trial with new winners.”

Sebastian Michaelis, Tetley’s Master Blender, explains, “We were really excited when The National Lottery challenged us to create a unique tea for lottery winners. The ‘Winners Brew’ includes a winning combination of specially selected teas for a wonderfully fresh, zingy and zesty cuppa that delivers a rich and soothing malty flavour.

“And of course it wouldn’t be a winning tea without a little lottery magic, so we’ve added around 150 real gold leaf stars to each handmade teabag - giving the Winners Brew a unique golden finish.”

The celebrations don’t end at the teapot - when asked how else winners celebrated, 35% had their family round to share their news and 21% went out for a meal.

Andy explained, “News of a win takes time to sink in so winners often need some time with loved ones to celebrate and accept that they really have won. The findings of our research have been fascinating, we really are a nation of tea lovers and from now on when I pack my bag to meet a new lottery winner I’ll be sure to include some Winners Brew tea bags!”

*Statistics taken from exclusive National Lottery research of high-tier lottery winners – October 2016

Photo - Philip and Joanne Poultney.