For most people in Britain tea drinking is not the delicate, refined cultural expression that much of the world imagines -- a cup (or more often a mug) of tea is something drunk several times a day quite unceremoniously. "Tea" is not only the name of the beverage, but of a late afternoon light meal, irrespective of the beverage drank (especially in The North, where the evening meal usually referred to as "dinner" is called "tea", and "lunch" is "dinner"). Frequently (outside the UK) this is referred to as "high tea", however in the UK High tea is an evening meal. The term comes from the meal being eaten at the "high" (main) table, rather than the smaller table common in living rooms.
Tea is usually served with milk (not cream) and sometimes with sugar. Strong tea served with milk and two teaspoons of sugar, usually in a mug, is commonly referred to as "builder's tea".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_culture#Britain