The Perfect cup of tea… how strong do you like it?

We thought we would share our thoughts on the perfect cup of tea! It’s a touchy subject and we each have our own tea rituals but here’s a few tips we picked up along the way (no pun intended).

If you’re brewing up a pot.

And why not.. Tea is a social occasion so why not make the most of it. Make the tea, put the tea pot in the middle of the table and whilst it stands make the most of a few precious moments.

This is how our blenders brew the perfect Welsh Brew tea…

1) Start with basics. Make sure the water in the tea pot is fresh (pre boiled water reduces the oxygen level in the pot and can affect the taste). Fill your kettle with enough water for the number of cups of tea desired and just a touch more to warm the pot.

2) Use that little bit of extra water to warm your tea pot and then pour that water into the cups. Two birds with one stone here, warm pot, warm cups and saving the planet too (that maybe three but whose counting?!).

3) Here’s where it may start getting tricky. The rule of thumb for me is one bag per person but if you like your tea to support the spoon you can add one for the pot. It’s similar with loose leaf, one spoon per person and one for the pot too. My mum says two Welsh tea bags makes three very lovely cuppas and who am I to argue? After all, hers very often come with a bacon sandwich!

4) It’s time to add your freshly boiled water. With our Kenyan and Assam Welsh Brew, four minutes to brew and infuse should be plenty… but if you have mountains to climb and children to feed, then you could go for the full six minutes as recommended by our friends at the British tea council.

5) It’s time to pour, but here lies the question… Milk in first or last?There are two schools of thought here and I think I have been asked the same question at every show, exhibition, tasting or even family get together.

The tea is in the pot so it should be brewed to perfection. If you know how much milk you like pop it in first and hey presto the perfect cuppa! However, what if you’re at a friends and it’s an unknown quantity in the teapot – heaven for bid it may not be Welsh Brew! Caution is needed as this could make or break your whole day. Pour the tea in first and add milk to give just the right colour for you. Now’s the time for sugar, the hot water will help it dissolve.

6) Finally and perhaps the most important part of the tea making process… the drinking of a very lovely cup of tea made just the way you like it.

In a mug..

Like the perfect cuppa lets not rush things. We will add this soon but remember the one vital bit of info that is non negotiable. The milk goes in last for the very simple reason that if you put it in first the water won’t be boiling and tea loves to be 100 degrees to infuse… but each to their own!