Originally Posted by
paulaf
What is the exact rule on this, does it have to be put back on between sips, would be useful to know for next time?
When it comes to "rules", the nearest we have to anything definitive are the statutory instruments, of which there are now hundreds relating to the pandemic. Where face coverings are referenced, you then have a "reasonable excuse" section, which gives some specifics but doesn't affect to be a comprehensive list - so you may be able to persuade a judge that whatever you are doing is reasonable (which isn't a high bar in my view). But in the specific reasonable excuses there is this:
"where it is reasonably necessary for P to eat or drink, P removes their face covering to eat or drink",
where P means a person otherwise required to wear a mask.
Clearly having the mask off for a few minutes to consume food and drink would be OK, but the excessively slow sipping of drink, or the Pringles / Malteser tricks, would perhaps understandably test the patience of some passengers. But it's unllikely you'll be thrown into Belmarsh for it.