Autumn Sale: 20% off almost everything until 15 NovemberSee the sale
Tea recipe · Black Tea

The Proper Brew of Yorkshire Tea Original (Builder Strength)

How to brew the famous red box at its best: water at 100C, four to five minutes in the cup, then milk.

  • Prep 6 min
  • Serves 1
  • Easy
Black Tea · recipe card
At a glance Updated 21 Jan 2026
Yorkshire Tea Original Everyday Blend, 80 Tea Bags 250g, Black Tea, Bettys & Taylors Group Limited. Sold by Teas.co.uk.
5Steps
4Ingredients
£3.60The tea
55In this section
Made withYorkshire Tea Original Everyday Blend, 80 Tea Bags 250g
The recipe

Exact quantities, then the method.

This is the red box everyone knows, brewed the way it deserves. Yorkshire Tea Original is built by Taylors of Harrogate to taste right in hard or soft water, which is why it is the everyday cup so many of us reach for first thing.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the The Proper Brew of Yorkshire Tea Original (Builder Strength) recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/black-tea/the-proper-brew-of-yorkshire-tea-original-builder-strength/

It likes its water properly boiling and a decent steep. Pull the bag at four to five minutes, then add a splash of milk.

⏱ 6 min 🍽 Serves 1 📊 Easy 📚 Black Tea Recipes

You'll need

  • 1 tea bag of Yorkshire Tea Original
  • 200ml freshly boiled water (100C)
  • A splash of milk
  • Sugar to taste (optional)

Method

  1. Boil fresh water and pour it over the bag at a full 100C. Yorkshire Tea is built to take a hard boil.
  2. Steep for 4 to 5 minutes to bring it up to strength.
  3. Press the bag against the side of the mug, then lift it out.
  4. Add milk, and sugar if you take it.
  5. If it comes out too strong, top up with a little hot water rather than more milk, which keeps the flavour clean.
What you'll end up with: A bright, everyday mug that takes milk happily, exactly the cup Yorkshire Original was made to be.

Keep going

The tea it is made with, and what to make next.

All Black Tea Recipes →

Made it?

Rate it, keep it, add to it.

Your verdict

Made this? Rate it.

Tell us how it came out. A star rating and a line or two helps the next person who makes it.

Sign in to rate +5 to 25 reward points · sign-in required

Keep a copyPrint it, or keep it offline.

The whole recipe as a PDF. Print it for the kitchen, or keep it on your phone for when you are offline.

Download as PDF

Add to it

Got something to add? Logged-in customers can submit additions to the Tea Wiki, admin-approved, your name on the byline, plus reward points.

Sign in to contribute
Tea notes and stock updates

Useful tea notes, only when there is something to say.

Stock arrivals, buying notes and practical guidance from the catalogue. No filler, no daily noise, unsubscribe in one click.

By family

By moment

Brand of the monthHyson Seasonal taster packsHow the seasonal bundles work Tea of the Month ClubCurator-picked monthly box Find your tea60-second quiz 0 Basket £0.00
See all 325 products