Founded in Belfast
Robert S. Thompson began the family tea business in 1896 after training in the art of tea tasting near Belfast docks.
Thompson's
Belfast's tea house since 1896, Northern Irish tradition in the cup.
Thompson's Family Teas is the Belfast-based tea house that has been blending tea for Northern Irish kitchens since 1896. Punjana is their flagship, strong, malty, the kind of cup Belfast houses run on.
Shop all Thompson's tea
🇬🇧 Northern Ireland🏠 Family-ownedSince 1896
In stock at teas.co.uk3 products
- Founded
- 1896
- Origin
- Belfast
- Curator rating
- 4.5
- Speciality
- Northern Irish black tea
current delivery options are shown at checkout.UK delivery is free over £35, with current dispatch details shown at checkout.
On this page
Curator says · Lee on Thompson's
Thompson's Punjana is one of the strongest mainstream British black teas, designed for proper Belfast kitchen drinking, full milk, slightly stewed if you forgot. Stronger than Yorkshire, malty rather than brisk. Family-owned for 130 years and they haven't messed with the blend, which is the right call.
Lee Samuel Tucker · Curator, teas.co.uk
4.5
Curator rating
Four generations in Belfast
About Thompson's
Thompson's began in 1896, when Robert S. Thompson trained as a tea taster in a warehouse near Belfast docks. Four generations later, the family still blends and packs its teas in Belfast, and a member of the Thompson family tastes and approves every blend.
This is a deliberately focused tea house: robust black tea selected for colour, body and a proper finish with milk. The range at teas.co.uk moves from the smoother Everyday Breakfast, through the fuller Signature Blend, to the malty Irish Breakfast for the strongest morning cup.
Key facts
Four generations
Thompson’s remains family-owned, with the fourth generation still responsible for tasting and approving the blends.
Family-approved blends
Every blend is tasted before release by a member of the Thompson family, preserving a consistent house style.
Assam and Kenya
The family selects tea from quality gardens in Assam, Kenya and beyond for strength, colour and full flavour.
Quality starts at the garden
Ethical sourcing
Thompson's says its sourcing starts with growers it trusts to make excellent tea while treating their workforce with respect. The family combines long-standing supplier relationships with formal checks and garden visits.
Trusted growers
Tea is bought from gardens that meet the family’s quality standards and share its expectations for workforce treatment.
Garden checks
The sourcing policy includes regular visits and checks rather than relying only on pack-level claims.
Premium leaf prices
Paying more for better leaf can help strong gardens invest in housing, healthcare and education for their communities.
Blended in Belfast
Leaf is tasted, blended, bagged and packed by the Belfast operation, keeping quality control close to the family.
The complete Thompson's shelf
Three ways to drink Thompson's
Start smooth, go fuller, or choose the proper malty Irish Breakfast.
Thompson's Signature Blend, 80 Tea Bags 250g
Thompson's Signature Blend is the premium tier of the Belfast family blender, the master-blender's house recipe sitting above the Irish Breakfast and Everyday lines, picked into the Teas.co.uk…
£6.00Add +
Thompson's Irish Breakfast, 80 Tea Bags 250g
Thompson's Irish Breakfast is the family flagship of the Belfast tea-blender Thompson's, a robust Assam-led black tea blend designed for the famously hard water of the north of…
£6.00Add +
Thompson's Everyday Breakfast, 80 Tea Bags 250g
Thompson's Everyday Breakfast, 80 Tea Bags 250g is a full-flavoured black-tea blend made with leaves from Kenya and Assam. Thompson's describes it as fresh and satisfying; our curator…
£6.00Add +
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TwiningsAdd to basket
Thompson's Everyday Breakfast, 80 Tea Bags 250g
black teaenglishorigin-uk£0.08 /cup · 80 cups £6.00 -
TwiningsAdd to basket
Thompson's Irish Breakfast, 80 Tea Bags 250g
black teaorigin-ukpack-standard£0.08 /cup · 80 cups £6.00 -
TwiningsAdd to basket
Thompson's Signature Blend, 80 Tea Bags 250g
black teaenglishorigin-uk£0.08 /cup · 80 cups £6.00
Before you buy
Thompson's: Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy Thompson's tea online in the UK?
Teas.co.uk stocks Thompson's Signature Blend, Everyday Breakfast and Irish Breakfast. Live prices and stock are shown on this page, and UK delivery is free above the current threshold.
What is Thompson's tea known for?
Thompson's is known for strong, full-flavoured Northern Irish black tea that keeps its character with milk. The family has blended tea in Belfast since 1896.
Is Thompson's still family-owned?
Yes. Thompson's describes itself as a fourth-generation family tea company, and says every blend is still tasted and approved by a member of the Thompson family.
Which Thompson's tea is strongest?
Irish Breakfast is the most assertive of the three teas stocked here, with a deep malty body. Signature Blend is full but rounder, while Everyday Breakfast is the gentlest all-day cup.
How should I brew Thompson's tea?
Use freshly boiled water and brew for 3 to 5 minutes. Start at 3 minutes for Everyday Breakfast and leave Irish Breakfast longer if you want a darker, stronger cup that takes plenty of milk.
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