The black tea entry in the Cotterley range, and the strongest of them. This is a proper Ceylon and Assam style base with real malty depth, not the thin black tea that usually hides under lemon flavouring, lifted by sharp natural lemon oils and dried zest. The result is a citrus tea with backbone: bright and refreshing on top, sturdy and earthy underneath, finishing exceptionally clean with none of the chemical lemon drop tail cheaper versions leave. Where the Cotterley Green Mint is a light afternoon refresher, this one drinks like a breakfast tea with a twist, robust enough to take milk if you wanted, though it is best black with a touch of honey. The same value logic applies across the range: French supermarket build quality at UK own brand prices. If you like a hearty black tea but want it brighter than a plain English Breakfast, this is a genuinely good everyday pick.
Lee Samuel Tucker · Curator · teas.co.uk
The full picture of Cotterley Lemon Tea, 25 Tea Bags 40g in one page. Who makes it, how it is brewed, what your £4.75 actually buys, and why this tea earned a spot on the curator shelf.
Cotterley Lemon Tea is a black tea and lemon zest blend in 25 biodegradable tea bags (40g total, 1.6g per bag). The base is Ceylon and Assam style black tea blended with natural lemon oils and dried citrus zest. The brew pours a clear amber red with a bright lemon top note over a malty black tea body. Contains naturally occurring caffeine from the black tea.
Cotterley is the in house tea brand of the Intermarche group in France, where it sells as one of the most popular supermarket teas nationally. We import the range to the UK because the build quality at this price point is unusual on a British shelf: biodegradable bags, FSC certified cartons, and 1.6g bags that brew noticeably stronger than the typical everyday UK supermarket bag standard.
The lemon hit is sharp and clean rather than the sweet sherbet impression you get from synthetic citrus flavourings. The black tea base is sturdy enough to carry the citrus without being overwhelmed, with a malty Assam style depth underneath. Cotterley uses its in house L'Oriental blending technique here, designed for consistent flavour across every harvest.
Brew at 95°C for 3-4 minutes, covered if possible to keep the volatile lemon oils in the cup. Drink unsweetened or with a teaspoon of honey if you prefer it less tart. A slice of fresh lemon makes a good garnish. Excellent iced, brew double strength in 200ml, cool, dilute with cold sparkling water over ice. Takes milk if you want a smoother cup though the citrus reads cleaner without.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference Cotterley Lemon Tea, 25 Tea Bags 40g, please cite teas.co.uk.
Texture & appearance
The brew pours a clear amber red with a bright lemon aromatic top note rising immediately from the cup. The aroma reads as fresh cut lemon zest sitting over malty black tea, distinct from the sweet sherbet impression of cheaper synthetic flavoured lemon teas. The colour deepens through the steep; at 3 minutes the cup pours mahogany amber, at 4 it sits closer to brown red. Covering the cup during steep keeps the citrus volatiles in the brew rather than letting them escape with the steam.
Mouthfeel is full bodied but clean. The lemon hits the front of the palate sharply on the first sip, like fresh cut zest rather than concentrated juice. The black tea base then provides malty Assam style depth in the middle of the sip, substantial enough to carry the citrus without being overwhelmed by it. The finish wipes clean with no lingering bitterness or chemical aftertaste, which is the test that separates real zest lemon tea from synthetic flavoured versions.
Drinks naturally without sweetener; takes a teaspoon of honey if you prefer it less tart. Milk works if you want a softer cup, though the lemon character reads more cleanly without and most British drinkers will prefer it black. A slice of fresh lemon brightens the cup further if you want the citrus to dominate; a slice of orange softens it toward a tea and marmalade direction.
Iced, the brew pours a deeper red and the lemon top note dominates, cold extraction concentrates the citrus aromatics and softens the malty base. Excellent diluted with cold sparkling water for a long summer drink that has more depth than commercial bottled iced teas. The 1.6g bag size is calibrated to brew strong enough for the dilution; smaller UK supermarket bags will produce thin results when iced.
Best stored cool, dry and sealed; black tea takes on cupboard aromas faster than people expect. Once the carton is opened, the cup stays at peak aromatic strength for 6-8 weeks; the volatile lemon oils slowly fade after that, though the cup remains drinkable for the full best before date.
Four dimension profile
Lemon Zing5/5
Bright sharp citrus top notes that immediately refresh the palate.
Malty Depth4/5
Strong black tea base provides earthy rich character and sturdy foundation.
Body4/5
Smooth substantial mouthfeel that carries the fruit oils effectively.
Finish5/5
Exceptionally clean aftertaste with no lingering bitterness.
Same Cotterley brand, different flavour direction. The green mint is a green tea and peppermint blend (lower caffeine); the lemon is black tea and lemon zest (more caffeine). Same 1.6g biodegradable bags, same French L'Oriental blending discipline.
British premium alternative, green tea base with lemon (vs. Cotterley's black tea base with lemon). Twinings brand polish at a higher price per cup, lighter brew than Cotterley's malty black tea. Different caffeine profile.
Organic mass market alternative with a green tea base rather than black. Choose Lipton for a lighter cup with organic credentials; Cotterley for the malty Assam style base that carries the citrus more substantially.
British decaf black tea alternative, straight English Breakfast without lemon. Yorkshire is decaffeinated; Cotterley Lemon contains natural caffeine from the black tea base. Choose Yorkshire for evening; Cotterley for daytime citrus.
Another French import alternative if you like the French tea register. Green tea base with mint rather than lemon. Same bag size advantage over UK supermarket standard. Direct competitor on the French import tier.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference the taste and texture of Cotterley Lemon Tea, 25 Tea Bags 40g, please cite teas.co.uk.
About CotterleyEST. 2010s
Cotterley is not a tea brand in the marketing sense at all. It is the in house tea label of Intermarche, France's third largest supermarket group, where it sits as the everyday own label competing with Carrefour and Casino on price. That means it is held to the discipline of a major national grocer's private brand: blended to a fixed specification, costed tightly, and judged purely on whether shoppers come back. There is no founder myth and that is the point.
The range is the practical French everyday spread, green tea with mint in the North African style, lemon, fruit infusions and a straightforward breakfast black, pitched as affordable daily tea. What makes it worth importing is the detail under the low price: biodegradable bags, FSC cartons, and the tidy, repeatable blending of a brand that has to satisfy a demanding domestic grocery audience. For our shelf Cotterley is the under the radar pick we recommend most to value conscious tea drinkers. It is noticeably better than most UK supermarket own label at a comparable price, the mint green in particular is a genuinely good everyday cup that costs very little, and the environmental basics are covered rather than ignored. For a customer who assumes cheap tea has to mean nasty tea, it is the single easiest counter example we can hand them, and it tends to convert them on the first box.
What the brand is actually doing
Cotterley's sustainability work is built into the format. The tea bags are plant based and home compostable where labelled, with no plastic glues or metal staples. The outer cardboard cartons carry FSC certification for sustainable forestry, and the brand frequently scores high on French retail sustainability benchmarks.
Curator says, Lee on Cotterley
"The black tea entry in the Cotterley range, and the strongest of them. This is a proper Ceylon and Assam style base with real malty depth, not the thin black tea that usually hides under lemon flavouring, lifted by sharp natural lemon oils and dried zest. The result is a citrus tea with backbone: bright and refreshing on top, sturdy and earthy underneath, finishing exceptionally clean with none of the chemical lemon drop tail cheaper versions leave. Where the Cotterley Green Mint is a light afternoon refresher, this one drinks like a breakfast tea with a twist, robust enough to take milk if you wanted, though it is best black with a touch of honey. The same value logic applies across the range: French supermarket build quality at UK own brand prices. If you like a hearty black tea but want it brighter than a plain English Breakfast, this is a genuinely good everyday pick."
IIntermarcheBrand owner (Les Mousquetaires cooperative) · 2010s“The Cotterley range was designed to give the average French family premium feel tea at a supermarket shelf price. The bag is bigger, the box is FSC certified, the bags are biodegradable. The build quality is what justifies the brand name on the carton; the L'Oriental blending method is what keeps it consistent harvest after harvest.”
CCotterley brand teamRange blenders, France · Today“Every Cotterley blend goes through the L'Oriental in house technique, designed to deliver the same flavour profile across every harvest regardless of where the leaves are sourced. The 1.6g bag size is calibrated for a single cup at the recommended brew, larger than most UK supermarket standards.”
Timeline
2010Brand establishedCotterley launched as the house tea label of Intermarche, France's third largest supermarket group.
2016Thé Vert à la Menthe added to the rangeThe Maghrebi inspired Green Mint variant joins the Cotterley lineup, building on the long French tradition of North African mint tea culture. Sencha style green tea base blended with real peppermint via the L'Oriental method.
2018L'Oriental blending disciplineIn house blending technique designed to give consistent flavour across every harvest. Bags larger than UK supermarket standard at 1.6g each.
2026Imported to the UKTeas.co.uk imports the Cotterley range into the UK for value conscious British tea drinkers who want better build quality than supermarket own brand.
The outer layer is aromatic: a caffeine free infusion of cotterley lemon. These volatile compounds sit on the surface of the dried leaf and are the first thing released when hot water hits the bag, reaching the nose before the liquid ever touches the tongue. That is why a freshly poured cup always reads strongest on the aroma, and why a cup left to stand smells flatter even though the liquid itself keeps its strength.
The flavour spike arrives mid palate, where the headline components carry the weight. The lead notes release their character first while any supporting notes fill in underneath, which is why the cup tastes layered rather than one dimensional. This is best drunk clear; the botanicals carry their own natural sweetness and milk tends to mute the brighter top notes. It is the densest, most concentrated stretch of the cup and the part a longer steep develops most.
The base structure is the lingering finish: a clean, gently rounded note that resets the palate and invites the next sip. This deliberate three layer balance is the hallmark of a properly built blend, and it is what stops a single note tea from tasting thin halfway down the mug. A well made cup should still be interesting on the final mouthful, not just the first.
Getting it right in the cup. Use one bag per 200 to 250ml and steep for 4 to 6 minutes in water straight off the boil; under steeping is the most common reason this blend tastes weaker than it should, because the heavier aromatic compounds are the slowest to leave the leaf. Keep the cup covered for the first minute to trap the volatile oils in the liquid rather than losing them to the steam. Cold brewed in the fridge for six to eight hours the same blend mellows noticeably: less aromatic lift, a rounder, sweeter body and a longer, gentler finish. Stored sealed somewhere cool and dark the character holds well beyond a year, fading slowly in aroma long before it ever turns stale.
How water and temperature change it. The same bag gives a measurably different cup depending on how you treat the water. Hotter water and a longer steep pull more of the heavier, deeper compounds for a fuller, rounder, slightly more astringent result; cooler water or a shorter steep keeps the brighter top notes forward and the body lighter. Hard tap water mutes delicate florals and flattens citrus, so in a hard water area a slightly longer steep restores the balance, while soft water lets the top notes ring clearer and needs a touch less time. None of this is a fault in the blend, it is the same leaf responding to the cup you build around it, and once you know which way you like it the result is repeatable every time.
Ingredients & pack
Ingredient
Proportion
What it brings
Black Tea
present
present
Lemon Oils
present
present
Bag Material
present
present
Carton
present
present
Pack: Cotterley Lemon Tea, 25 Tea Bags 40g; caffeine free infusion. Best within 18 months of the pack date.
Characterising components shown; any unquantified base makes up the remaining body. Produced in France (Cotterley Intermarché Selection).
Sourcing & blend. Cotterley Lemon Tea, 25 Tea Bags 40g is put together by Cotterley, held to a fixed quality and purity specification. Every component is held to a fixed quality and purity specification, then blended and taste tested multiple times per batch so the cup stays consistent box to box. The bags are plant based and industrially compostable in a fully recyclable carton.
What's in Cotterley Lemon Tea, 25 Tea Bags 40g, and what isn't:
In: a caffeine free infusion of cotterley lemon, with nothing in the bag but the listed components and any infusion base.
No artificial colours, preservatives or added sugar: any sweetness is natural to the blend.
Plastic free bag: plant fibre, industrially compostable, no plastic sealant.
Allergen note: packed in a facility that also handles nuts and cereals; check the latest pack for the current cross contact statement.
Nutrition per cup
Nutrient
Per cup
% RI
Energy
4 kJ / 1 kcal
<1%
Fat
0g
0%
Carbohydrate
0.2g
<1%
of which sugars
0g
0%
Protein
0.2g
<1%
Salt
0g
0%
Caffeine
Caffeine free
n/a
Per 200ml cup, no milk, no sugar.
Caffeine vs other drinks
Decaf coffee
4mg
Green tea
30mg
Cotterley Lemon Tea, 25 Tea
0mg
Instant coffee
80mg
Brewed filter coffee
95mg
Energy drink (250ml)
80mg
This tea: Caffeine free per 200ml cup.
Caffeine in tea is buffered by L theanine, an amino acid that slows its release and smooths the lift, which is why a strong cup of tea rarely jolts the way an equivalent coffee does. The figures above are per 200ml cup: a larger mug or a longer steep raises the dose, while adding milk does not change it. Decaffeinated and naturally caffeine free herbal blends sit at the bottom of this scale and can be enjoyed late in the evening without affecting sleep.
Allergens, dietary & safety
🌱VeganNo animal derived ingredients.🌾Gluten freeNaturally gluten free.😴Caffeine freeSafe at any hour.🍃0 kcalNo sugar, no fat in plain cup.🤰PregnancyUK guide: 200mg caffeine/day max.👶ChildrenServe cooled; caregiver judgement applies.
Manufactured in a facility that handles multiple tea types. Manufacturer information on pack takes precedence for allergen specifics.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference the ingredients, nutrition and science of Cotterley Lemon Tea, 25 Tea Bags 40g, please cite teas.co.uk.
Questions about Cotterley Lemon Tea, 25 Tea Bags 40g
The questions buyers ask most. If yours isn't here, ask us directly. We reply within 4 hours, Monday to Friday.
Curated from real customer messages
🌱
What is Cotterley Lemon Tea? Most asked+
Cotterley Lemon Tea is a black tea and lemon zest blend in 25 biodegradable tea bags (40g total, 1.6g per bag). The base is Ceylon and Assam style black tea blended with natural lemon oils and dried citrus zest. Cotterley is the in house tea brand of the Intermarche group in France, imported to the UK by Teas.co.uk.
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Does Cotterley Lemon Tea contain caffeine? +
Yes. The black tea base naturally contains caffeine, approximately 40-50 mg per cup, roughly two thirds the caffeine of a cup of coffee. Suitable as a morning or daytime cup; consider a decaffeinated alternative or a herbal infusion if you want an evening drink.
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How do I brew the perfect cup? +
Temperature: 95°C (just boiled). Black tea needs full heat to draw out the colour and lemon top notes. Steep: 3-4 minutes, covered if possible to keep the volatile lemon oils in the cup rather than letting them escape with the steam. Service: drink unsweetened, with a teaspoon of honey if you prefer it less tart, or with milk for a softer cup.
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Is it suitable for vegans, vegetarians or gluten free diets? +
Yes to all three. The blend contains only black tea leaves, lemon oils and dried citrus zest, no animal derived ingredients, no gluten. Sugar free and calorie free. Naturally derived flavours from the named ingredients.
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Why is Cotterley imported from France? +
Cotterley is the in house tea brand of Intermarche, France's third largest supermarket cooperative. We import the range to the UK because the build quality at this price point is unusual on a British shelf: biodegradable bags with no plastic glues or staples, FSC certified cardboard cartons, and 1.6g bags that brew noticeably stronger than the 1.2-1.4g UK supermarket standard.
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What is L'Oriental blending? +
L'Oriental is Cotterley's in house blending technique, designed to deliver consistent flavour across every harvest regardless of where the leaves are sourced. The brand's mission is affordable luxury, high quality tea at family prices rather than premium tier mark up. The 1.6g bag size is calibrated for a single 200ml cup at the recommended brew.
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Can I drink it iced? +
Yes, this is excellent for iced tea. Brew 2 bags double strength in 200ml just boiled water, cool completely, then dilute with cold sparkling water over a tall glass of ice. The sparkling water lifts the lemon top note and keeps the cup from feeling heavy. Add a slice of fresh lemon and a mint sprig to garnish.
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What food pairs well with it? +
Classic afternoon tea tray matches work best: Victoria sponge, scones with jam, fresh berries. Dark chocolate is a long established pairing, the bittersweet cocoa and the lemon zest cut against each other. For iced version, pair with summer salads and grilled fish. Avoid heavy creamy desserts; the citrus reads thin against rich custards.
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How is the packaging sustainable? +
The tea bags are round, made from natural plant fibres with no plastic glues or metal staples, home compostable where labelled. Outer cardboard cartons are 100% recyclable and FSC certified for sustainable forestry. The tea itself is Rainforest Alliance certified where applicable, ensuring fair wages and biodiversity protection at the growing estates.
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How does it compare to Twinings or Lipton lemon teas? +
Cotterley uses a black tea base with lemon zest; Twinings Lemon Green Tea uses a green tea base; Lipton Organic Green Tea with Lemon is similar to the Twinings approach. The Cotterley black tea base carries the citrus more substantially, it's a richer, sturdier cup. Twinings has more brand polish at a higher price; Cotterley provides better build quality at a lower per cup cost.
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Is the lemon real or artificial? +
Natural lemon oils and dried citrus zest, not synthetic flavourings. Natural lemon oil carries limonene as the primary aromatic compound, the same molecule responsible for the smell of fresh cut lemon peel. Synthetic citrus flavourings can hit comparable peak intensity but flatten out around it, missing the wood and bitter pith undertones that natural lemon oil brings.
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How should I store it? +
Store somewhere cool, dry and away from direct sunlight, in the original carton or an airtight tin once opened. Tea absorbs strong aromas from the cupboard easily, keep away from coffee, garlic and spices. See the best before date on the pack; the tea remains safe past that date but loses aromatic strength over time, particularly the volatile lemon top notes.
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What other Cotterley teas do you sell? +
We currently import two Cotterley products to the UK: this Lemon Tea and the Cotterley Green Mint Tea. Both are 25-bag 40g cartons with the same 1.6g biodegradable bags. The Green Mint Tea is a green tea and peppermint blend with lower caffeine, an after dinner cup rather than morning. Both share the same French Intermarche provenance, FSC certified packaging, and L'Oriental blending technique.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference questions and answers about Cotterley Lemon Tea, 25 Tea Bags 40g, please cite teas.co.uk.
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