It’s time to talk cricket teas. Pop the kettle on, grab a biscuit (we’re partial to Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers here) and settle in.
This is a chat about the past, present and future, in association with Yorkshire Tea, who have supported our competition for the past three years.
As the only game I can think of that stops for tea, it was almost inevitable that cricket would swoop me up in its arms from a young age.
In club cricket from Somerset to Surrey and latterly in Yorkshire, I have seen how a cricket tea unites us. A welcome pause to rest, refuel and relax.
Battle is paused as conversation flows.
A tea break at the cricket can work in subtle and more obvious ways. Any simmering tension can fizzle out over a slab of lemon drizzle. It’s also an opportunity for the host club to show what they can do. Teas are a source of pride, reflecting the people and sense of place.
On the surface, it seems ludicrous to stop halfway through a match, drink four cups of tea (speaking for myself here) and inhale a plate of jam-laden scones (cream then jam, no arguments please).
Yet, it is as much the fabric of the game as anything else – but for how much longer? Well, we’ll come back to that.
If you were to write a book about cricket teas (they do exist and I have been tempted to add my enormous experience to the subject), it would have to acknowledge the juddering impact of Covid-19.
When we all emerged blinking into the daylight and headed as soon as we could to our nearest club cricket match, the pausing of cricket teas was a watershed moment.
I noted at the time that it was a sad sight to see players and umpires scatter at the interval to their cars to seek out a sandwich box or whatever meal deal the local garage was offering.
But, absence doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder. (It did in the case of Debs at Ripon below).
I blithely assumed that a lack of cricket teas would galvanise the grassroots game – and it did, just not in the way I expected. It showed those who were already of a mind, often cash-strapped clubs with few volunteers, how to shed one of the many responsibilities.
The return to whatever counts for normality ushered in a new dawn where leagues voted on whether to have cricket teas at all.
Believe it or not, teas continue to be a contentious subject; where some clubs offer them and others don’t. Naturally, before you feel a rising thirst, that never means you have to go without a proper brew.
A lack of a full sit-down buffet has, in some parts, just meant you can buy a mug of tea and stock up on Haribo or bar snacks instead. Or bring your own delicacies.
Why wouldn’t your club do teas? Well, the cost, the effort and the disparity between those who make an effort and those don’t all make for bones of contention.
I understand both sides of the equation having even staged the world’s first lock-in at a cricket pavilion when Mrs Cricket Yorkshire and I did a tea once at Bingley Congs.
Yes, I know the game’s been called off but I’ve been baking since 7.30am, buttering countless loaves and you’re not going anywhere.
Pleasingly, here in Yorkshire, we take our teas about as seriously as our cricket. There is an unmistakable pride that shines through.
I think it taps into that sense of doing things proper, as well as a competitiveness that has been known to take hold in the land of the White Rose.
Of course, a cricket tea can be as much of a superstar as your overseas signing who averages 152 with the bat and can bowl 95mph. Clubs talk and every league knows who does the best teas.
Some leagues hand out awards; requesting that club captains mark the edible endeavours served at the interval.
In short, it matters.
Cricket Yorkshire Tea of the Year
So, launching a competition to champion the best cricket teas in Yorkshire felt like a smart move. The fact that we’ve been able to count upon the support of Yorkshire Tea for three years with trophies, prizes and yes, loads of tea has been amazing.
Their connection to grassroots cricket ranges from the design on the tea boxes to getting a proper brew into many clubhouses and pavilions across the land.
I was also fortunate to be at Yorkshire’s Chance to Shine Street Finals that was delivered locally by the Yorkshire Cricket Board (YCB) and sponsored by Yorkshire Tea. An inspiring day and a format that supports young people to connect with the game.
Three years of running a cricket teas competition has shown that clubs and volunteers put heart and soul into their hospitality on match-day.
We were conscious of recognising not just the effort by those freely giving up their time for community sport but also acknowledging the cost.
So, a new Low Cost Luxuries category came in and Muff Field CC were the winners with their creative ways to hit a budget of £30-40 a week from home baking to employee discounts with supermarkets.
The overall winner for 2024 was Pannal Cricket Club whose generosity seemingly knows no bounds. Penny Barrett and others contribute to an astonishing weekly feast that always caters for those with alternative requirements.
What does the future hold?
Well, through the prism of visiting many cricket clubs, allied with our coverage and the entries from our competition, there’s every reason to believe teas still hold a central part in the grassroots game.
That said, many clubs no longer do a cricket tea as such while others are in leagues where the vote has been not to universally offer it (but clubs may rebel and do their own thing anyway).
Of course, there may also be some clubs who’d rather not be forced to offer a cricket tea and are quietly hoping a future league vote changes the status quo! Everyone will have their views but what we can all (probably) agree on is that the landscape is altered from even five years ago.
While cricket formats have changed – so too have the way we entertain at games and how clubs approach that challenge.
A greater appreciation for cultural traditions and diets means that clubs are having to offer more variety; this is obviously a good thing but not without its difficulties to deliver.
Outside catering is more prevalent either by having a supplier do the cricket teas or perhaps a local pizza van parked up on match day. A barbecue and a well-stocked confectionary cupboard are both ever-popular too.
Pleasingly, tea urns still feature prominently in club cricket and the older the better to my mind. Yorkshire Tea aprons, mugs and boxes of brews adorn the grassroots game as, let’s be honest, there’s always time for a cuppa.
Want to read more articles about tea?
🫖 Here are the Yorkshire Tea archives on Cricket Yorkshire.
This article is in association with Yorkshire Tea – if the mood takes you, click to read Cricket Yorkshire’s policy on Partner Content.
Founder of Cricket Yorkshire, Author of Dales, Bails and Cricket Club Tales, All Wickets Great & Small and Last of the Summer Wickets.
