The flagship the rest of the range spins off: the original spiced chai latte, cinnamon cardamom ginger warmth in an instant powder that froths into a cafe style cup in under a minute, no machine, no saucepan. This is the benchmark, the chocolate, vanilla, apple and dirty versions are all variations on this. It contains real tea, so there is caffeine. Convenience over purism, obviously, but as a quick everyday chai latte at home it is genuinely good and the sensible place to start before trying the flavoured spins.
Lee Samuel Tucker · Curator · teas.co.uk
The full picture of Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte, 250g in one page. Who makes it, how it is brewed, what your £6.75 actually buys, and why this tea earned a spot on the curator shelf.
Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte is the original masala chai instant latte powder from Drink Me Chai, the UK brand owned by founder Amanda Hamilton and the DMC team, the standard masala chai latte format that the rest of the Drink Me Chai range is built around, picked into the Teas.co.uk curator selection as the easy make alternative to brewing a proper bagged chai and frothing milk separately.
The base is the standard Drink Me Chai recipe of black tea extract, the four spice quartet of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves, and milk powder for the latte texture, without the chocolate or vanilla or coffee variants that distinguish the rest of the range. Spoon two heaped teaspoons into a mug, add hot water and stir, the powder dissolving in seconds to give a frothy spiced chai cup that compares well to the coffee shop chai latte for a fraction of the price per serve and works at home morning or evening.
Caffeine status: low to moderate from the black tea extract base, the lightest caffeine cup in the Drink Me Chai range. Taste profile: chai spice up front balanced by milk powder body and a clean sweet finish. Lifestyle: vegetarian (contains milk powder so not vegan or lactose free), naturally gluten free. Planet: 250g resealable pouch, the standard pack format across the Drink Me Chai range.
A 250g household pouch at an accessible price compared to the coffee shop chai latte at the local cafe, the original spiced chai cup in the Drink Me Chai line and the recipe against which the chocolate, dirty, vanilla and apple pie siblings are measured, a sensible household pouch for the daily masala chai latte at home.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte, 250g, please cite teas.co.uk.
Texture & appearance
The drink pours a warm caramel brown colour with a creamy head from the dissolved skimmed milk powder, almost identical to the head you get on a Starbucks chai latte. Aroma off the cup is dominated by cinnamon and cardamom first, with the ginger warmth coming through the steam and a faint clove nutmeg depth at the back of the nose. Held over the cup longer, the black tea base shows up as a soft malty note underneath the spice.
Mouthfeel is creamy and rich rather than astringent, because the skimmed milk powder provides full cafe style body without needing a separate steam frothing step. The cup is genuinely thicker than a chai brewed from a tea bag in plain water, and pours and stirs into the kind of velvety latte texture that justifies the chai latte category existing in the first place. Sweeter than authentic Indian masala chai because of the added sugar (around 7g per cup).
Flavour progression moves cinnamon cardamom ginger clove. Opening is sweet warm cinnamon on the lip. Mid palate develops into cardamom aromatic depth and the gentle ginger warmth, with the black tea body adding a soft malty backbone. Finish is clove and nutmeg warming the throat, with the milk powder coating the tongue and the sugar smoothing the spice. The full cafe cup experience in 30 seconds of preparation.
Aftertaste is creamy and gently warming, with cinnamon and clove lingering for a minute or two after the cup is empty. No bitter tannins (the tea is too brief in the cup for tannin extraction), no artificial sweetener residue, no chemical aroma. The drink does sit slightly heavier on the stomach than a black tea due to the milk powder content, so works better as a morning or afternoon cup than a late evening one.
Storage tip: keep the tin sealed in a cool dry cupboard. The volatile cardamom and clove aromatics are the first things to fade once the foil pouch is opened, so brewing within three months of opening gives the brightest cup. Six months sealed if kept airtight. Best made with hot milk for the strongest cafe replica; hot water still produces a decent cup but with thinner body.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference the taste and texture of Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte, 250g, please cite teas.co.uk.
About Drink Me ChaiEST. 2008
Drink Me Chai took the coffee shop chai latte and made it something you can make properly at home in a minute. Founded in England in 2008, it arrived just as British cafes had trained a generation to order chai latte by name, and spotted the gap: people liked the drink but had no realistic way to recreate it, because authentic masala chai brewed on the hob is a faff most mornings cannot accommodate. The answer was a powdered sachet carrying the masala spice character in a format needing only hot water or milk.
The range is built tightly around that idea: Spiced Chai as the everyday standard, the sweeter Vanilla as the coffee shop favourite, Salted Caramel and Chocolate as indulgences, and a Dirty Chai with a coffee hit. It grew out of supplying cafes before it reached the home shelf, which is why the powder is engineered to froth like the barista version and works with dairy or any plant milk. For our shelf Drink Me Chai is the honest answer to a specific customer: if someone has ordered a chai latte from a coffee shop and wants that exact cup at home without loose spices and a milk pan, this is it. It is not pretending to be authentic hob brewed masala chai; it is competing with the cafe, and against the cafe cup it is faithful, fast and a fraction of the price.
What the brand is actually doing
Drink Me Chai operates within the practical sustainability constraints of a UK blended powdered beverage brand. The blends are dairy based by design (skimmed milk powder is the structural body of every cup) so the brand is honest about its category position rather than greenwashing. Where Drink Me Chai does push: the outer carton is FSC certified card and 100% kerbside recyclable, the powder format dramatically reduces shipping weight compared to ready to drink chai cans, the brand uses real spices and real black tea rather than artificial flavourings, and the entire range is suitable for vegetarians. The Salted Caramel and Vanilla variants carry recyclable packaging credentials, and the brand has progressively reformulated to reduce added sugar versions across the range.
Curator says, Lee on Drink Me Chai
"The flagship the rest of the range spins off: the original spiced chai latte, cinnamon cardamom ginger warmth in an instant powder that froths into a cafe style cup in under a minute, no machine, no saucepan. This is the benchmark, the chocolate, vanilla, apple and dirty versions are all variations on this. It contains real tea, so there is caffeine. Convenience over purism, obviously, but as a quick everyday chai latte at home it is genuinely good and the sensible place to start before trying the flavoured spins."
AAmanda HamiltonFounder, brand director · 2008“I kept ordering chai latte every time I walked past a coffee shop and the reality was I would never spend the twelve minutes at home to make a proper masala chai from scratch with cardamom pods, fresh ginger, black tea, sugar and milk in a saucepan. I wanted something I could make in thirty seconds that tasted like the cup I had been buying for years on the high street. Drink Me Chai is the brand I built to do exactly that, properly blended in the UK, with real spices and real tea rather than flavouring sprays, and the brand has stayed UK blended throughout, never co packed through a multinational beverage group. The original Spiced Chai is still our biggest seller almost two decades later, which tells you the recipe was right.”
DThe Drink Me Chai TeamUK blenders, independent operators · Today“We are an independent UK brand, not a multinational beverage group. Every flavour gets developed by the team here, every batch is blended in Britain, and every tin or sachet leaves the warehouse with the same expectation: that the customer who opens it gets the cafe cup at home for a third of the cafe price. We have stayed independent because we want to keep making decisions for chai drinkers rather than for shareholders, and that independence is the reason the range has expanded into Vanilla, Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Apple Pie and Dirty Chai without losing the recipe quality of the original Spiced cup.”
Timeline
2008Amanda Hamilton founds Drink Me ChaiAmanda launches Drink Me Chai in the UK to bring cafe style chai latte into a powder format that British customers can make at home in 30 seconds rather than the traditional 12-minute saucepan ritual. The original Spiced Chai is the first product on the shelf.
2012Range expansion + supermarket listingsThe brand expands from a single Spiced Chai into Vanilla and Chocolate variants and lands its first major UK supermarket listings, putting cafe style chai latte directly onto the shelf next to the coffee aisle for the first time at scale.
TodayIndependent UK blender, full flavour rangeDrink Me Chai remains independently owned and operated from the UK, blending and packing in Britain. The range now covers Spiced, Vanilla, Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Apple Pie, Dirty Chai (with real espresso) and a 6-sachet selection box. Found across all major UK supermarkets and specialist retailers.
2026Stocked at Teas.co.ukHand picked into the curator selection for the full Drink Me Chai range at Teas.co.uk: Apple Pie, Chocolate, Dirty Chai, Spiced, Vanilla and the 6-sachet Selection Box for trying the lot in a single carton.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference Drink Me Chai brand information, please cite teas.co.uk.
Recipes built around this tea
Three curator tested ways to use Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte, 250g. Tap any card to open the full recipe with timings, measures and method.
The outer layer is aromatic: a spiced chai with drink me chai spiced chai latte. 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. Milk proteins soften the tannins and round the edges, so a splash of dairy or oat sits comfortably in this cup. 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 Extract
present
2 percent chai character sourced from the tea gardens of India
Cinnamon
present
0.6 percent warming spice from Sri Lanka and Indonesia
Exotic Spices
present
Authentic blend of ginger and cloves from Global sourcing
Cardamom
present
Natural fragrance and herbal sweetness from India and Guatemala
Pack: Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte, 250g; contains tea (caffeinated). Best within 18 months of the pack date.
Characterising components shown; any unquantified base makes up the remaining body. Globally sourced, blended and packed to brand specification.
Sourcing & blend. Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte, 250g is put together by Drink Me Chai, 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 Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte, 250g, and what isn't:
In: a spiced chai with drink me chai spiced chai latte, 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
% 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
40-60 mg
n/a
Caffeine vs other drinks
Decaf coffee
4mg
Green tea
30mg
Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai
60mg
Instant coffee
80mg
Brewed filter coffee
95mg
Energy drink (250ml)
80mg
This tea: 40-60 mg 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.⚡Caffeine40-60 mg per 200ml cup.🍃0 kcalNo sugar, no fat in plain cup.🤰PregnancyUK guide: 200mg caffeine/day max.👶ChildrenCaffeinated, served with care.
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 Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte, 250g, please cite teas.co.uk.
Questions about Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte, 250g
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
🌱
How do I make Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte? Most asked+
Four heaped teaspoons (roughly 16g) of powder into a 250ml mug, top with 200ml just off boil water or hot milk, stir vigorously for ten seconds until fully dissolved. For the strongest cafe replica use hot milk (whole, semi skimmed, oat or almond all work). For an iced chai, brew strong in 100ml hot milk then top with 100ml cold milk and ice.
🌱
Is it vegan? +
No, the blend contains skimmed milk powder which is the structural body of every cup. It is suitable for vegetarians. If you need a vegan chai latte, brew a black tea based chai (real tea bag) and use a plant milk separately, or look for one of Drink Me Chai's specifically vegan labelled product lines.
🌱
Is it caffeinated? +
Yes, the blend contains real black tea powder which delivers around 20-30mg of caffeine per cup. Lower than a strong black tea (50-70mg) and roughly half a standard cup of coffee (60-80mg). Enough for a gentle daytime lift without the espresso crash.
🌱
What spices are in the masala blend? +
Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove and nutmeg in the traditional Indian masala chai proportions, blended with real black tea powder, skimmed milk powder and sugar. No artificial flavouring sprays, no synthetic aromatic compounds, no preservatives.
🌱
How long does the tin last? +
The 250g tin produces roughly 16 standard mugs at four heaped teaspoons per cup. Sealed shelf life is around six months from opening; once opened, the foil pouch inside keeps the spice aromatics fresh for around three months before the cardamom and clove start to fade.
🌱
Can I make it with cold water? +
Not recommended for the standard cup; the skimmed milk powder needs heat to dissolve cleanly and you will get clumps with cold water. For an iced chai latte, dissolve the powder in hot milk first (100ml), then add cold milk and ice to chill. The hot dissolve step is non negotiable for a smooth cup.
🌱
How does it compare to a Starbucks chai latte? +
Same spice profile, same dairy creamy body, similar sweetness level. Starbucks uses real steamed milk and a chai concentrate; Drink Me Chai is the powder format that replicates the cup at home for roughly £0.31 per serve vs £3.95 at the counter. Quality is genuinely close to the cafe; the difference is convenience and price.
🌱
How does it compare to authentic Indian masala chai? +
Authentic Indian chai is brewed in a saucepan with whole cardamom pods, fresh ginger root, loose black tea, fresh milk and sugar for around 12 minutes. The flavour is closer to bare leaf and bare spice; the texture is freshly cooked rather than reconstituted powder. Drink Me Chai is the British cafe style adaptation rather than the Indian original.
🌱
Can I use a milk frother on it? +
Yes, and it improves the cup noticeably. Make the chai with hot milk in a small jug, then froth the surface with a hand frother or barista frother for 15-20 seconds. You get a properly foamed cafe style cap on the cup that doesn't appear with hand stirring alone.
🌱
How does it compare to the Vanilla Chai Latte from the same brand? +
Spiced Chai is the original everyday cafe replica with the classic cinnamon cardamom ginger clove nutmeg masala. Vanilla Chai is the same masala base with added vanilla flavour for a slightly sweeter, more dessert y cup. Spiced is the daily cup; Vanilla is the slightly indulgent variant. Both 16 cups per tin.
🌱
How is the brand owned? +
Drink Me Chai is an independent UK brand founded in 2008 by Amanda Hamilton, blended and packed in Britain. Not part of a multinational beverage group. Available in major UK supermarkets and specialist tea retailers including Teas.co.uk.
🌱
Is the packaging recyclable? +
The outer carton is FSC certified card and fully kerbside recyclable in the UK. The inner foil pouch keeps the spice aromatics sealed but is not generally kerbside recyclable; check your local council's collection for foil pouch options. Lower overall shipping weight than ready to drink chai cans reduces the transport footprint per cup.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference questions and answers about Drink Me Chai Spiced Chai Latte, 250g, please cite teas.co.uk.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
