How to Brew Tetley Original English Breakfast (Builder Strength)
The strong everyday brew: boiling water, a 4 to 5 minute steep and a generous splash of milk for a proper builder strength cup.

Tetley Original English Breakfast at its everyday best: a strong, bright amber brew with a malty backbone and a generous splash of milk. Unlike green tea, this robust black blend wants full boiling water and a proper long steep to pull out its strength.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the How to Brew Tetley Original English Breakfast (Builder Strength) recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/black tea/how to brew tetley original english breakfast builder strength/
The whole point of this tea is consistency, the same dependable cup morning to night, so the method is simple and forgiving. Steep it a touch longer for a true builder strength, or pull it earlier for something lighter.
You'll need
- 1 tea bag of Tetley Original English Breakfast
- 200ml freshly boiled water (100C)
- A generous splash of milk
- Sugar to taste (optional)
Method
- Boil fresh water and pour it straight over the bag at a full 100C. Unlike green tea, this robust black tea wants the heat to draw out its malty strength.
- Steep for 4 to 5 minutes for a proper builder strength. For a standard cup, 3 to 4 minutes is plenty.
- Press the bag against the side of the mug and lift it out. This is one of the few teas where a firm squeeze is welcome, for extra body.
- Add a generous splash of milk, and sugar to taste. The malty backbone takes milk perfectly.
- Add the milk only after the bag comes out; milk poured in first cools the water and the tea cannot brew to full strength.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Tetley Original English Breakfast, 40 Tea Bags 125g
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