British take tea over coffee Tea tins are decorated with the images of Prince William and Kate Middleton are seen in a store prior to the Royal wedding, in London, April 27, 2011. LONDON, June 28 (UPI) -- It seems Britain's teatime is being edged out in favor of a cup of Joe with more than half of Brits opting for java, a survey by Nespresso indicated. Of 2,000 people surveyed, 45 percent said coffee commands a higher social status than tea, the London Evening Standard reported. Some 77 percent of senior managers elect for coffee when meeting with important business colleagues or clients while 70 percent of high earners said they prefer a cup of coffee in the morning. The preference appears to trickle down as three quarters of those surveyed said they first sipped coffee by the age of 15, with a third saying they had tried it between the ages of 6 and 10. The survey also found four fifths of those surveyed said they needed the caffeine buzz to be productive during the workday. However, it would seem tea still reigns supreme. The Evening Standard reported Brits consume an estimated 165 million cups of tea a day, compared with some 70 million cups of coffee.