Best Herbal Tea UK

The best herbal tea in the UK depends on what you want it for: Pukka Night Time for sleep, Pukka Three Mint or Tetley Pure Peppermint for digestion after a heavy meal, Pukka Elderberry & Echinacea in cold season, Pukka Three Chamomile for a plain evening cup. No single herbal tea wins all of them. This page lists the eight UK options worth your money, with a per cup price against each, organised by what each is actually good for.

What "herbal tea" really means

Herbal teas are infusions of herbs, flowers, fruits or roots, with no Camellia sinensis in them, so no caffeine unless the box says otherwise. At the premium end the British market is Pukka and Yogi, with Twinings, Clipper and Tetley filling the supermarket aisle. For the sub types, the botany and the pregnancy cautions, see what herbal tea is and the full category list.

The ranking by use case

For sleep / wind down

1. Pukka Night Time. Lavender, valerian, oat flower. Organic. A staple of the organic herbal shelf. £0.30 per cup.
2. Yorkshire Tea Bedtime Brew. Chamomile + valerian on a malted base. Tastes more like tea than typical herbal. £0.06 per cup.
3. Twinings Sleep / Superblends Sleep. Camomile, spearmint, vanilla. Cleaner, simpler. £0.10 per cup.

For digestion / after meals

4. Pukka After Dinner / Pukka Three Mint. Peppermint with fennel and liquorice. A well known pick for the end of a heavy meal. £0.30 per cup.
5. Tetley Pure Peppermint. Single ingredient mint. £0.05 per cup.
6. Yogi Stomach Ease. Fennel, cardamom, ginger. American but well distributed in the UK.

For energy / focus / morning (caffeine free)

7. Pukka Mint Matcha Green. Contains real green tea, so it is technically not pure herbal, but the matcha and mint pairing makes a bright, fresh tasting cup. £0.30 per cup.
8. Yogi Sweet Tangerine Positive Energy. Yerba mate base (caffeinated, ~30mg) + fruit. Caffeine light alternative to coffee.

For immunity / cold support

9. Pukka Elderberry & Echinacea. A berry and herb blend that people reach for in cold season. £0.30 per cup.
10. Pukka Lemon, Ginger & Manuka Honey. A comforting cup, with the ginger coming through.
11. Twinings Defence. Vitamin C fortified citrus and ginger blend on green tea, so it has some caffeine. £0.10 per cup.

For relaxation / anxiety

12. Pukka Three Chamomile. Pure chamomile, three different sources. The cleanest single ingredient evening cup. £0.30 per cup.
13. Twinings Calm. Camomile, spearmint, lemongrass. £0.10 per cup.
14. Teapigs Chamomile Flowers 50 Bags. Whole flower in pyramid bags. Check the product page for the current pack and price. Lee's premium pick for chamomile drinkers.

The two UK premium brands worth knowing

• Pukka. Bristol founded 2002, entirely organic, the British apothecary aesthetic. The range is wide, with a blend for most times of day. Higher quality than supermarket herbals; price reflects this.
• Yogi Tea. American, founded by a yoga teacher in 1969, mix of organic and conventional, broader range including chai variants. The branding is slightly heavier on yoga and self care themes.

Both make solid herbal blends. Pukka goes for a British apothecary look and Yogi for a Californian one, so choose on the look you prefer; both are solidly premium.

Caffeine: read the box

Most herbal teas are 100% caffeine free. Exceptions:

• Yerba mate (caffeinated, ~30-80mg), sometimes shelved with herbals.
• Guayusa (caffeinated), same family.
• Matcha blended herbals (e.g. Pukka Mint Matcha Green), contain green tea, so contain caffeine.
• "Energy" herbals: read the box; many include guarana or yerba mate.

How to brew herbal tea properly

Just boiled water (95-100°C). Steep 5 to 8 minutes, covered, because under steeped herbal tea is thin. The full method, with the ratio per 200ml, the herbs that want ten minutes or more and why milk does not belong, is on the herbal tea explainer.

FAQ

What is the best herbal tea in the UK? Pukka or Yogi at the premium end. Pick by occasion: evening, after a meal, cold season and so on. Pukka Night Time and Pukka Three Mint are the volume bestsellers.

Are herbal teas safe in pregnancy? Where nausea and vomiting in pregnancy are the problem, the NHS says some evidence points to ginger helping, and it suggests a word with your pharmacist before any ginger supplement; it also advises no more than four cups of herbal tea a day. Liquorice and excessive hibiscus sometimes cautioned.

How much can you expect from a herbal tea? Modestly. Individual herbs carry traditional uses of their own, and the evidence behind them varies from one herb to the next. Treat them as comforting hot drinks with mild functional benefit, not as medicine.

Curator's note: most herbal tea drinkers buy 5-6 different boxes for different times of day. There's no "best herbal tea", there's a best for sleep, a best for after lunch, a best for a sore throat. Pick a few. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

Herbal tea by use case, at a glance

Quick take

Pregnancy limits from the NHS: up to four cups of herbal tea in a day, and liquorice root teas are best left alone. A caffeine free label does not mean every blend suits everyone, so a midwife or pharmacist is worth asking. Pukka and Yogi lead the premium end, so choose by occasion, evening, after meals, mornings or cold season, and keep several boxes rather than chasing one winner. Steep long, five to eight minutes, covered, because under brewed herbal tea is just thin. Treat them as comforting drinks with mild, real functional benefit, not medicine, and read the box, because matcha blended and energy herbals do contain caffeine.

More from the tea wiki

• Is Tea After a Meal Good or Bad?
• Best Pukka Tea: What to Actually Buy
• Herbal and Fruit Infusions
• Tea Caffeine vs Energy Drinks
• Twinings Defence: Citrus, Ginger and Green Tea, Reviewed
• Twinings Digest: A Peppermint and Fennel After-Meal Cup, Reviewed

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