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Tea sorting splits the crop into whole leaf and fine broken pieces, and most tea bags are filled from the broken end. Brew Tea Co fills its bags from the other end, and nearly every brewing tip for this blend comes back to that.
What whole leaf changes
Broken tea has a huge surface area, so it gives up colour and strength almost at once and then flattens. Whole leaf exposes far less surface and has to open before it releases much, hence the large folded bag, and it is why the malt is still gathering at four minutes when a dusty bag would already have peaked. It is the brand's no-dust rule in practice.
The dose is generous as well. Fifteen bags share 56g, about 3.7g each, which is heavier than the 3.1g bags usually sold as strong and roughly half as much again as a standard 2.5g carton bag. That is why a single bag can fill a large mug, and why the cup has a body more like a pot of loose leaf than a bag.
Four minutes, then milk
If the first cup tastes weak, the brew was almost certainly too short. A three-minute habit learned on broken leaf short-changes whole leaf, so give this four full minutes with water at a full boil. A gentle press of the bag against the mug before it comes out is fine here, because an unscented black tea has no delicate aroma to spoil, unlike an Earl Grey.
Milk is what this blend was made for. The bag holds so much leaf that a generous pour of milk softens the cup without thinning it, and the malt stays at the front. Taken black at four minutes it is weighty but still smooth, a rarer thing in a breakfast blend than you might expect. Briskness is modest, so anyone after a sharp, snappy cup should look elsewhere.
Breakfast plates and biscuits
Brew Tea Co calls this a balanced, malty classic and names it as its top subscription choice. It takes milk well and holds its own beside a bacon sandwich or marmalade on toast, and it is a natural partner for the heavier biscuits: chocolate digestives, ginger biscuits and anything oaty.
It is fully caffeinated and the line has no decaf, so treat the box as a morning one. At one mug a day, fifteen bags last roughly two weeks, which suits someone upgrading their own breakfast cup rather than supplying a whole household. Beside it, the brand's Earl Grey Proper is an afternoon cup that is better black; this is the one that wants milk.
The packs we stock
- Brew Tea Co English Breakfast, 15 Tea Bags 56g (barcode 5060331430070)
What the label says
The published ingredient list for Brew Tea Co English Breakfast, 15 Tea Bags 56g names none of the 14 major allergens. Before you buy this English Breakfast, go by the label on the pack that is current in the UK, as recipes and allergen advice are not fixed.
Ingredient and nutrition information for this product, as published on the manufacturer's label. The label on the pack you receive has the final say on this English Breakfast.
What to eat with it
- McVitie's Milk Chocolate Digestives Biscuits, 266g: a sturdy chocolate biscuit that suits a malty, milky mug first thing.
- McVitie's Rich Tea Biscuits, 300g: the plain, light biscuit for a quick dunk in a strong breakfast cup.
- McVitie's Ginger Nuts Biscuits, 250g: ginger warmth against deep malt, a good match whether the tea is taken black or with milk.
Elsewhere in the Brew Tea Co range
The full range is on the Brew Tea Co brand page.
FAQ
What is a whole-leaf tea bag? Whole leaf rather than fine broken particles, in a bag cut roomy enough for the leaf to unfurl, so it brews slowly and evenly.
Why did my first cup taste weak? Probably too short a brew. Whole leaf needs four full minutes, not the three that suits broken leaf.
Can one bag make a pint? Yes. At about 3.7g of leaf, one bag has enough in it for a large mug.
Can you squeeze the bag? Yes, gently. With no delicate scent to spoil, a press against the mug before you lift it out does no harm.
Where does the tea come from? English Breakfast is a style, not an origin, and the box describes the tea as a blend; any origin printed on the box you have is the one to go by.
Curator's note: Four minutes, then milk, and no sugar. If tea bags have let you down before, this is the box I would try next. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.
In short: Brew Tea Co English Breakfast: the whole-leaf breakfast bag
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Brand | Brew Tea Co |
| Packs we stock | 15 Tea Bags 56g |
| Category | Everyday Tea Bags |
| Allergens (as published) | Nothing from the 14 major allergens is listed among the published ingredients. |
| Caffeine | caffeinated |
| Brew | Four full minutes, full boil |
| Milk | Takes plenty |
| Best with | Chocolate digestives or a bacon sandwich |
More from the tea wiki
- How to Make Tea Properly: The Eight Step Method
- Caffeine in Tea
- Tea Pairing Principles: Reason, Don't Memorise
- English Breakfast Tea: Brands & the Proper Cup
- Builders' Tea: The Working Class Story
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