I'm in London and need to bring back some English breakfast tea to the US. Any suggestions?

Question

I am looking for suggestions on what kind of English breakfast tea to purchase. Thanks!

Answer 1

The best 2 brands for "posh" varieties of tea (such as "English Breakfast" + "Earl Grey") are "Twinings" + "Jacksons of Piccadilly".
http://www.twinings.com/
http://www.jacksons-of-piccadilly.com/

However, most English people drink plain everyday brands such as
- TETLEYS http://www.tetley.co.uk/
- PG Tips http://www.pgmoment.com/
- Typhoo http://www.typhoo.com/
- Yorkshire Tea (by "Taylors of Harrogate") http://www.taylorsofharrogate.co.uk/

Answer 2

Depends on what you mean. The English don't buy 'English Breakfast Tea' - that is a description for foreigners of the type of tea we do drink (if that doesn't make too little sense).

The main tea the English drink is sold by brand name, thus PG-Tips, Co-op 99, Typhoo are the biggest selling ones. Go to a supermarket and see which brands take up most space.

The teas are unique blends of teas of different varieties from various places, including Assam for colour (English like their tea very dark because most people add milk), Ceylon and etc.

So if you want an English tea thats what you should buy. If you want to pay a higher price for a tea aimed at foreigners, then by all means do so.

(and we never drink that ghastly Liptons Yellow Label that you see in hotels all around the world -- it is not sold in Britain.)

see
PG Tips - http://www.unilever.co.uk/ourbrands/foods/pgtips.asp

Typhoo - http://www.typhoo.com/

99 - http://www.99tea.co.uk/

Answer 3

Whittards is the best place for teas - it's a chain that's found in most big towns - there will be several in London.

The comments about different named teas are spot on - most people buy by brand name rather than type of leaves/region. If you do want to try the different leaves the nicer ones are Lady Grey (not earl grey!) and Assam.

Liptons is vile - perhaps you'd be kind enough to point this out to your compatriots on your return so we can get a decent cuppa when we come out to see you 8-)

Answer 4

Either wander into a big supermarket or a little tesco metro and you can pick up some Twinings tea for half the price they will charge you in Harrods, harvey Nicks, Selfridges or any of the other tourists traps.
You could take back some real chocolet too.

Answer 5

What Americans call " breakfast tea" is just plain everyday ordinary tea to us Brits, and we will drink it at any time, not just breakfast.

Dont go looking to buy something specifically called "breakfast tea" because, if you can find it, its targeted at tourists and probably twice as expensive. And dont go buying it from department stores like Harrods or Fortnum & Mason...that's like going to Bloomingdales to buy a loaf of bread! They only sell it to American tourists who dont know any better.

Almost all of us now use tea bags rather than loose tea, although both types are easily available. The most popular brands are "PG Tips", "Ty-phoo" , and "Tetleys" and these sell in far greater quantities than small brands like Lipton or Twining. As the guy above said, these popular teas are a mix of different Indian blends like Assam. They are easily available in any ordinary grocery store, and are much, much cheaper than buying special gift packs in the big central department stores. .

One other thing..Earl Grey tea is considered an unusual speciality tea in Britain and is never drunk regularly by most people. It is is much too light in taste to be satisfying, and it is not at all popular...in fact, it probably sells in bigger quantities to American visitors, who tend to think of it as "very English", for some strange reason.

Answer 6

Whittard's has a wide array of teas and gift packs too! Their shops are all around London with one in the British Airway terminal too. I've bought many wonderful gifts in Whittard's for my family and son's teachers - and all rave about the tea. They have loose teas and tea bags, lovely china cups with strainers inside, teapots and strainers. Check the site for locations in London or call info. There are many lovely shops.

Answer 7

twinings tea is the most popular english tea but go to a tea shop and look they will most likely have special blends for you to get

Answer 8

Buy a brick of Earl Grey. Avoid those little metal cannisters of tea, they are rip-offs for tourists.

Answer 9

Go to Fortnum and Mason on Picadilly, they'll sort you out. They are the Queen's grocers after all!!

Answer 10

Definitely go to Harrods and purchase some of theirs.. it is wonderful!!!