Best tea brands: the best tea bags for Great British brews

published 20 February 2023

Is any drink more tied to a national identity than tea is to the UK? Whether you like a strong cup of English Breakfast, tend to start the day with an Earl Grey or have moved onto caffeine-free herbal infusions, there's a place for tea in all of our hearts. Right?

However, maybe it's time to try something new. We're looking at some of the best, and best-known, tea brands to give you a springboard to explore the wider world of tea. Vote for your favourite to give other readers a steer.

UPDATE:We have added a couple of the most-recognised names in tea to our best tea brands guide, although one you are more likely to know for its tea-infused cold drinks than for its English Breakfast teabags. However, it's proof of which how diverse a drink tea really is.

Recent years have seen our nation’s drinking habits change dramatically. According to a report by Mintel, 37% of 25-34 year-olds drink 5-6 different kinds of tea a month, suggesting variety really is the key of life. A separate study conducted by National Tea Day revealed 80% of brands noted the current ‘health and wellness’ trend as something that has changed our buying habits.

From potent fruit concoctions to punchy black-tea hybrids, these brands have it all in terms of variety, quality and ethical principles. Upvote the one that earns a place in your kitchen cupboard.

And if you fancy another type of brew, head to our best coffee subscription list.

Best tea: bags and loose-leaf blends

Strangely enough, the Tetley brothers didn’t initially set out to revolutionise the tea industry. Flogging salt to Yorkshiremen was their primary business, but in 1837 that all changed when they added tea to their repertoire.Sourced from Kenya, China, Malawi, Ceylon, Darjeeling, Assam, Indonesia, and Argentina, Tetley has professional tea tasters in seven countries around the world. The British tea brand is a founder member of the Ethical Tea Partnership and sources 100% of its tea from Rainforest Alliance Certified gardens. It has even created its own unique tea-tasting language called “Uhuru” that allows Tetley tasters and blenders to describe and grade the quality of the teas.

We've had a fantastic number of cuppas from Brew Tea Co. The English Breakfast, Assam and Earl Grey varieties were all taste tested and there's a real freshness in each sip, thanks to the tea being loose leaf (albeit in a bag, though bag-free options are also available). Our favourite was the malty English Breakfast, but the Earl Grey has a real unique taste - a touch floral but unlike any other Earl Grey we've tasted.While you can buy by the box, the official site is a cornucopia of tea goodies, including some brilliant mugs, tea pots and more - great then if you are looking for a gift for the tea fan in your life.