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Tea recipe · Earl Grey

A Proper Cup of Earl Grey

A proper cup of Earl Grey, brewed four minutes for full bergamot, taken with either a splash of milk or a strip of lemon.

  • Prep 5 min
  • Serves 1
  • Easy
Earl Grey · recipe card
At a glance Updated 26 May 2026
Dilmah Earl Grey, 20 Tea Bags 30g, Black Tea, MJF Holdings Ltd. Sold by Teas.co.uk.
5Steps
6Ingredients
£5.40The tea
14In this section
Made withDilmah Earl Grey, 20 Tea Bags 30g
The recipe

Exact quantities, then the method.

Earl Grey is Black Tea scented with bergamot, and it brews like any black tea: boiling water and four minutes to bring the bergamot through. It is one of the few teas you can take either way, with a splash of milk or a strip of lemon, but not both at once, as lemon and milk do not mix.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the A Proper Cup of Earl Grey recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/earl-grey/a-proper-cup-of-earl-grey/

The bergamot carries it, so it needs no sugar. Makes one mug.

⏱ 5 min 🍽 Serves 1 📊 Easy 📚 Earl Grey Recipes

You'll need

  • 1 tea bag of Dilmah Earl Grey
  • 250ml freshly drawn water at 100C, just off the boil
  • 1 thin strip of fresh lemon zest, peeled with a vegetable peeler
  • 20ml cold whole milk
  • 1 250ml mug, warmed
  • 1 saucer for covering during steep

Method

  1. Warm a mug and pour in 250ml of freshly boiled water.
  2. Add the tea bag, cover with a saucer and steep for four minutes.
  3. Lift the bag out, draining it gently against the rim.
  4. Now choose: a small splash of cold milk, or a thin strip of lemon, but not both, as lemon curdles milk.
  5. The bergamot does the work, so it needs no sugar.
What you'll end up with: A bright, fragrant cup with the citrus lift of bergamot, taken your way with milk or lemon. Clean and aromatic, no sugar needed.

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