How to Make a Proper British Cup of Tea (and What to Dunk With It)
Ask anyone who has moved from the UK or Ireland to Spain what they miss, and tea comes up within a minute. Not because Spain has no tea, but because a proper "cuppa" is strong, malty, made with boiling water and milk, and served with a biscuit for dunking. Here is how to get it right at home, including the one Spanish problem nobody warns you about: the water.
Which tea to buy
A British-style cup starts with a strong black tea blend made to take milk. That is what everyday "builder's tea" is: nothing fancy, just a bag that brews dark and full-bodied in a few minutes.
- Tetley Original is one of the classic British everyday teas: rich, round and made for milk.
- Tetley Decaf gives you the same familiar taste without the caffeine, for the evening cup.
- Lipton Yellow Label is a lighter, brisker black tea if you prefer your cup less heavy.
- Lipton Earl Grey is black tea scented with bergamot. Many people drink it without milk, or with a slice of lemon.
How to make it, step by step
- Use freshly boiled water. Fill the kettle with fresh cold water rather than reboiling what was left in it. Black tea needs water at a full boil to release its colour and flavour; this is why tea made with water from a coffee machine tastes thin.
- Warm the mug. Swirl a splash of hot water round it and pour it away. A cold mug takes the heat out of the brew.
- One bag per mug. Put the bag in first and pour the boiling water straight onto it.
- Leave it alone for 3 to 5 minutes. Three for a medium cup, four or five if you like it strong. Don't rush it by squashing the bag hard against the side; that mostly adds bitterness.
- Take the bag out, then add milk. A splash of cold milk until it turns the colour you like, from golden to "builder's" brown. Sugar is optional.
Milk first or milk last?
It is the oldest argument in Britain. With a teabag in a mug, milk goes in last: if you add cold milk first, the water is no longer hot enough to brew the tea properly. With a teapot, where the tea has already brewed, milk first is a matter of taste. As for which milk, fresh whole or semi-skimmed milk tastes closest to home; long-life milk works but gives a slightly cooked flavour.
What to dunk with it
A cup of tea on its own is fine. A cup of tea with something to dunk is a tradition. These are the British and Irish favourites we keep in stock:
- Bolands Ginger Nuts are hard, spicy and made for dunking: a few seconds in hot tea and they soften without falling apart.
- Bolands Fig Rolls are a soft biscuit filled with fig paste, an Irish and British classic.
- Tunnock's Caramel Wafers from Scotland: layers of wafer and caramel in milk chocolate, at their best with a strong cup.
- Tunnock's Tea Cakes are not for dunking. Soft marshmallow on a biscuit base, wrapped in milk chocolate, eaten slowly next to the cup.
- Bolands Mallow Tea Cakes are the Irish take on the same idea, with a chocolate shell and a fluffy marshmallow centre.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I brew a British tea bag?
Between 3 and 5 minutes in freshly boiled water. Less than that and the tea tastes weak and watery once the milk goes in; much longer and it turns bitter.
Why does my tea taste different in Spain?
Almost always the water. Hard water flattens the flavour and leaves a film on the surface. Filtered or bottled water fixes it. Tea made with water that wasn't fully boiling also tastes thin.
Can I add milk to Earl Grey?
You can, but many people prefer it black or with a slice of lemon, which lets the bergamot come through. For a milky cup, an everyday blend such as Tetley Original is the better choice.
What is "builder's tea"?
British slang for a strong cup of everyday black tea with milk and usually sugar, brewed until it is a deep orange-brown. It's named after the tea breaks on building sites.
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