COFFEE-DRINKING Americans are turning their attention to tea after a string of celebrities revealed their preference for a blend made in North Yorkshire.

Socialbakers, a firm which analyses social network websites, said more than 19,800 Americans have declared themselves fans of Yorkshire Tea, which is produced by Taylors of Harrogate.

It says while 124,800 Britons follow Yorkshire Tea on Facebook, Americans now represent more than 12 per cent of the brew’s “fan base”.

The brew has received endorsements from Alien movies star Sigourney Weaver, The Green Mile actor Sam Rockwell and Gladiator star Russell Crowe, who Tweeted in October that Yorkshire Tea was “the ritual perfect for hurricanes” as Hurricane Sandy hit New York.

Previously Noel Gallager has said his favourite cuppa is Yorkshire Tea, despite being raised across the Pennines, while pop stars Tinie Tempah and Madonna have revealed their preferences for the brew.

The family-run business has also launched a social media campaign in which it baked One Direction star Louis Tomlinson a birthday cake, which he posted a picture of to his nine million Twitter followers.

A spokesman for the firm, which has blended teas since 1885, said its United States market received a boost after Nick Brody, a key character in HBO series Homeland, was seen drinking the brew.

The spokesman said: “We were an integral part of one of the TV blockbuster of the year. Our Twitter feed went crazy.

“We could never have afforded product placement like that. We found out that one of the producers was a fan.”