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Brand · Thompson's
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.
UK
Family-owned
In stock at teas.co.uk · 3 products
Founded1896
OriginNorthern Ireland
SpecialityNorthern Irish black tea
In stock at teas.co.uk
3 products
Chosen before it earns its place
Curator says · Lee on Thompson's
4.5
Curator rating
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
Start with
Thompson's Signature Blend, 80 Tea Bags 250g
£6.00
£4.80
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Founded 1896 · Northern Ireland
About Thompson's
Thompson's is the Belfast tea house Northern Irish kitchens have run on since 1896, and on the island of Ireland it carries fierce everyday loyalty. The family business has blended tea for over a century, and its flagship, Punjana, is one of the genuinely strong mainstream black teas of these islands, the cup Belfast houses are built around: full, malty, taken with plenty of milk and unbothered if it has stewed. Ireland drinks more tea per head than almost anywhere on earth and drinks it strong, so holding that position for 130 years means satisfying demanding, tea-literate customers.
The range is built around that strong everyday character, Punjana as the flagship plus the breakfast and everyday blends, kept firmly in the robust Irish tradition, with packaging moving to recyclable cartons. The family has stayed independent and has not reformulated the blend, which in a strong-tea heartland is exactly the right kind of conservatism. For our shelf Thompson's Punjana is one of the strongest and most characterful mainstream black teas we sell: stronger than Yorkshire, malty rather than simply brisk, engineered for proper kitchen drinking with full milk. If a customer wants a serious strong everyday black with real heritage and no gimmicks, the kind of cup an entire region has trusted for generations, Thompson's is exactly that, and it drinks every bit as strong as its reputation promises.
Key facts
Founded Belfast 1896 Robert Thompson establishes the family tea business in Belfast, building a brand around quality black-tea blending for the Irish market.
Irish Water Calibrated The Thompson's blend recipes are formulated specifically for the harder, mineral-rich water of Northern Ireland and Scotland, producing a fuller cup than English-market blends.
Family-Owned Heritage After 125+ years Thompson's remains family-owned, the same Belfast blending team continuing the original 1896 tradition.
Rainforest Alliance Sourcing All Thompson's tea is sourced from Rainforest Alliance certified estates committed to biodiversity and fair labour.
1896 → 2026
Brand timeline
1896
01
Thompson's begins in Belfast
Robert S. Thompson becomes a partner in the Belfast tea business McArthur and Willis, the start of Thompson's.
1950s
02
Punjana is born
The second generation, James Thompson and his wife Lillias, name the Punjana blend.
2026
03
Stocked at Teas.co.uk
Chosen by hand for the shelf; every line we stock is listed on this page.
Certified, not implied
Sustainability
Thompson's commits to Rainforest Alliance certified sourcing across the entire tea-bag range, fully recyclable FSC-certified outer cartons, plant-based tea bag mesh, and partnerships with the Tea & Herbal Association on industry sustainability standards. The family-owned business reinvests profits into the Belfast operation rather than distributing to external shareholders, keeping a closer relationship with grower estates than larger corporate tea brands.
Plant-Based Bags
The tea bags are made from renewable plant based materials (PLA).
Ethical Tea Partnership
Improving the lives of tea workers and the environment in 2026 tea producing regions.
Family Sourcing
Direct relationships with farmers allow for better transparency and fair prices for the high quality leaf required.
Rainforest Alliance Sourcing
Thompson's sources its black-tea base from Rainforest Alliance certified estates committed to biodiversity protection, fair labour standards and forest preservation.
Curator picks
Top picks
The three Thompson's products we recommend most often.
Thompson's Signature Blend, 80 Tea Bags 250g
£6.00
£4.80
Add +
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 curator selection as the…
Thompson's Everyday Breakfast, 80 Tea Bags 250g
£6.00
£4.80
Add +
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 finds a brisk, rounded…
Thompson's Irish Breakfast, 80 Tea Bags 250g
£6.00
£4.80
Add +
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 Ireland and the famously…
3 products · in stock
Shop Thompson's
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Thompson's
Thompson's Signature Blend, 80 Tea Bags 250g
£0.06/cup · 80 cups
£6.00
£4.80
Add to basket
Thompson's
Thompson's Everyday Breakfast, 80 Tea Bags 250g
£0.06/cup · 80 cups
£6.00
£4.80
Add to basket
Thompson's
Thompson's Irish Breakfast, 80 Tea Bags 250g
£0.06/cup · 80 cups
£6.00
£4.80
Add to basket
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Before you buy
Thompson's: Frequently Asked Questions
Teas.co.uk stocks 3 Thompson's products, with live prices and stock shown on this page. UK delivery is free over £35.
Thompson's is the Belfast tea house Northern Irish kitchens have run on since 1896, and on the island of Ireland it carries fierce everyday loyalty. The family business has blended tea for over a century, and its flagship, Punjana, is one of the genuinely strong mainstream black teas of these islands, the cup Belfast houses are built around: full, malty, taken with plenty of milk and unbothered if it has stewed. Ireland drinks more tea per head than almost anywhere on earth and drinks it strong, so holding that position for 130 years means satisfying demanding, tea-literate customers.
Thompson's was founded in 1896 in Northern Ireland. Robert Thompson establishes the family tea business in Belfast, building a brand around quality black-tea blending for the Irish market.
Thompson's commits to Rainforest Alliance certified sourcing across the entire tea-bag range, fully recyclable FSC-certified outer cartons, plant-based tea bag mesh, and partnerships with the Tea & Herbal Association on industry sustainability standards. The family-owned business reinvests profits into the Belfast operation rather than distributing to external shareholders, keeping a closer relationship with grower estates than larger corporate tea brands.
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.
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