Ever since Queen Catherine,wife of Charles II,introduced tea drinking as a social and family habit to the British in 1662,most Brits,like many Indians, have been hooked on their ’’cuppa’’. Whether it be breakfast,morning tea break,afternoon,high tea or a visit to a traditional British tea rooms,the British must have their beloved cup of tea.

One of the most popular brands in the market,not only in Britain but other tea drinking countries such as India, Singapore, Malaysia and foreign countries where there are sizeable numbers of British expatriates,is Tata Tetley Classic Blend. Originally it was Tetley but recently the Indian Tata tea company have bought out Tetley and the tea is known as Tata Tetley.

Tata Tetley get their black tea from plantations in India, Indonesia and some African countries. Reputedly they have buying agents at all the world’s major tea auctions-including the very famous ones at Calcutta and Mombassa-each and every week. Tetley,it seems purchase more than 2 million pounds of tea to produce their various blends.

Black tea is made from tea leaves that have been fully oxidised or fermented-this natural chemical reaction is what turns the tea leaves coppery-brown in colour. Tata Tetley also produce a decaffeinated option-good for the health conscious-as well as a range of flavoured speciality teas such as Black Currant,Strawberry,Lemon and Apple Cinamon,Green tea, Earl Grey and some full-bodied herbal teas.

What most of us are familiar with Tata Tetley Classsic Blend which is a deep amber coloured tea,available in tea bags,with a full-bodied flavour. I find it to be a very satisfying drink,refreshing and with a rich taste and pleasant aroma. It is neither too strong,nor too weak ! It is available in convenient formats. Normally I opt for tea bags and the 80 bags packet is just right for me. The product is well packaged and widely available in local grocers and supermarkets and tea shops stock the product.

To make my cup of tea I always ensure the water has boiled. I then gently pour the boiling water over the tea bag in a mug-a cup is too small for me-and twirl the bag around. I immerse it for around three minutes and only then add two teaspoons of sugar and some milk, Not an earth shattering revelation,I admit, but it works for me.

My maternal grandmother was a PG Tips fanatic and I still recall it had to be PG or nothing in her household. My late Mother was slightly more flexible and although a fan of Coop 99 would tolerate other brands being brewed in the house,including Typhoo, PG and Tetley.

Over the years I have certainly grown to enjoy Tata Tetley and consider it to be one of my real favourites,although I still like a number of other brands including Twining’s, Lipton and Boh tea which are widely available in the Far East.

Tata Tetley tea gets my recommendation as a good tea and if you have not tried it, I suggest you do so. I do not think you will regret sipping a cup of freshly brewed Tata Tetley Classic Blend !

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