When it comes to heatwaves in the UK, it’s a running joke that us Brits simply cannot cope. From complaining about the heat to getting over excited and drinking way too early: our reactions areWe British. Or are they? We decided to investigate all the weird and wonderful ways that the nation coped in this heatwave. And the good news is, it turns out at least some of us can manage quite well after all.

How did we find out? It was simple. At Streetbees, we can capture data on pretty much anything people are doing at any given time, in any major market. Our global community of 4.5 million people - who we call bees - in 150 countries share their consumption moments with us daily, via photo, video and open text via our WhatsApp style app. So all we had to do was ask our UK bees to show us how they were beating the heat, right then and there. We got the results back in minutes! 

Read this next: Why Clients like Unilever, PepsiCo and P&G use Streetbees to drive growth 

So to give you an example: here’s our top picks of how our bees in the UK coped with last week’s heatwave. And it turns out Brits have more creative ways to stay cool than you thought. Brands - take note!

1) This bee showed us how they brought a water amusement park to their home 

Context: “We bought a garden swimming pool with plastic colourful balls and a trampoline to jump in the swimming pool. Better than an amusement park!” - Panfilo

Mood: “Hot but OK”

2) Another bee discovered that traditional wine-making doubles up as a refreshing foot cooler

Context: “I went to a place which offers you to create wine the traditional way! It was a beautiful day and a fun activity to keep my feet cool” - Ben

Mood: “I’m good. Feeling relaxed and great!”

3) We love this bee’s idea: put your baby in a bucket of water and give them a slice of cold watermelon!

Context: “It’s my friend Jonus” - Foolibus

Mood: “Good”

4) These bees told us banana milkshakes are the best option to stay refreshed

Context: “My kids have tried every drink to try and cool down in the heat and apparently banana milkshakes are the best option!” - Hoi-Yan

Mood: “In a good mood after a nice day at the seaside”

5) This bee thinks hot drinks are the best way to reduce body heat 

Context: “I believe you can beat the heat by drinking something hot rather than cold to normalise your body temperature” -  Ralston

Mood: “OK”

6) Some bees are pet parents - and they’re using their furniture in creative ways to beat the heat

Context: “My dog is hiding in the shade as it’s 32 degrees celsius” - Rebecca

Mood: “Tired”

7) The heatwave inspired this bee to buy her first ever paddle boards to stay fresh

Context: “Me and my friend have started paddle-boarding and just bought our first boards. This is the first outing on one of the hottest days of the year” - Hollie

Mood: Very very happy!

8) And apparently smooshing ice cream around your face works quite well too

Context: “My oldest daughter cooling my youngest daughter down by sharing her ice cream” - Storme

Mood: “Great thanks”

We’re excited to see what our bees will do next. If you fancy finding out more about how we can help your brand get closer to consumers at any given moment, give us a shout in the form below.