Tetley
The drawstring tea bag inventor, Britain's middle-shelf classic.
Tetley invented the drawstring tea bag in the UK and has been a household staple since 1837. The Original 80s and 240s are the everyday picks; the novelty range (Digestive Biscuit, Lemon Drizzle, Cherry Bakewell) is one of the most-distinctive in mainstream British retail. Owned by Tata Consumer Products, Rainforest Alliance certified.
Tetley's Original is the lightest of the British big-three black teas, more universally drinkable but less character. The novelty teas are where it gets interesting, the Digestive Biscuit and Lemon Drizzle are genuinely uncanny in the cup. Treat the Original as the wallpaper of British tea, ever-present, unobtrusive. If you find Yorkshire too heavy, this is your brand.
About Tetley
Tetley is the tea most British kitchens have actually run on. The brothers Joseph and Edward Tetley began selling tea in Yorkshire in 1837, and in 1953 the firm introduced the tea bag to Britain, the single change that reshaped how the country makes tea more than any blend ever has. It followed up with the round bag in 1989 and the drawstring bag in 1997, small pieces of practical engineering aimed squarely at the everyday mug. Tetley is now part of Tata Consumer Products, the group behind Teapigs and Good Earth, which gives a humble Yorkshire blend the sourcing scale of one of the largest tea businesses in the world.
The range is breadth at a sensible price: the famous Original, decaf, Extra Strong, a well-regarded redbush, green and a wide herbal and fruit line. Sourcing sits inside the Tata programme, with Rainforest Alliance certified black tea. For our shelf Tetley is the honest benchmark for value black tea. It will not out-texture a pyramid or out-muscle a Yorkshire-strength blend and does not pretend to, but it lands the same consistent, milk-friendly cup hundreds of times in a row, which is harder than the premium houses admit. The redbush punches well above its price and the Original is one of the most reliable everyday brews in British retail. It is the tea you buy when you want the cup uncomplicated, dependable and genuinely cheap without being nasty.
Key facts
Sustainability
Tetley sources its black tea from Rainforest Alliance certified estates, within Tata Consumer Products' sustainability programme. Tea bag and carton materials vary by product, so check the pack and your local council guidance for disposal.
Top picks
Tetley Original English Breakfast in the two-hundred-and-forty-bag pack is the brand's everyday workhorse bought at its biggest scale, a bright amber cup with a satisfying malty backbone, the dependable daily cuppa rather…
Tetley Decaf English Breakfast in the family-size one-hundred-and-twenty-bag pack is the decaffeinated version of the brand's everyday breakfast black, bought in bulk, a deep amber cup with the same satisfying malty character…
Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and local-authority guidance; components can require different disposal routes.Caffeine status: a moderate level, roughly thirty-five to fifty milligrams a cup, so it is an easy daytime…
Tetley Camomile Herbal Tea is a pure single-flower camomile, a sunny golden cup with a gentle, honeyed finish, and the everyday caffeine-free choice for the evening. I will leave the sleep and…
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Tetley: Frequently Asked Questions
Teas.co.uk stocks 36 Tetley products, with live prices and stock shown on this page. UK delivery is free over £35.
Tetley is the tea most British kitchens have actually run on. The brothers Joseph and Edward Tetley began selling tea in Yorkshire in 1837, and in 1953 the firm introduced the tea bag to Britain, the single change that reshaped how the country makes tea more than any blend ever has. It followed up with the round bag in 1989 and the drawstring bag in 1997, small pieces of practical engineering aimed squarely at the everyday mug. Tetley is now part of Tata Consumer Products, the group behind Teapigs and Good Earth, which gives a humble Yorkshire blend the sourcing scale of one of the largest tea businesses in the world.
Tetley was founded in 1837 in England. Tea brothers Joseph and Edward Tetley start tea trading in Yorkshire, eventually building the family business into a national tea brand.
Tetley sources its black tea from Rainforest Alliance certified estates, within Tata Consumer Products' sustainability programme. Tea bag and carton materials vary by product, so check the pack and your local council guidance for disposal.
Use fresh, just-boiled water for black teas (around 100°C) and slightly cooler water (75 to 85°C) for green and white teas, steeping 2 to 4 minutes to taste. See the teas.co.uk brewing calculator for the ideal temperature and time for each tea.




































