An important day is upon us, and it’s one we can all enjoy from the comfort of a cosy sofa on 21 April: National Tea Day.
Humble and wholesome, tea is a truly magical beverage enjoyed by most Brits at least once a day. Whether you take quick sips from a travel flask or savour each delicious mouthful from your favourite mug, there’s always time for a good brew.
To really help perfect your National Tea Day experience, we’re going to spill the tea (sorry) on how to make the best brew to ensure you enjoy it to the fullest.
Learn from the experts
Perfectly brewing a pot of tea is a fine art, and while everyone makes it their own way, it’s about time we all took advice from the experts.
Whether you’re using a standard mug or an old-school teapot, the good folk of Yorkshire Tea advise to treat your water kindly by running the tap for a few seconds to aerate the water and ‘only boil it once to keep the oxygen level up. Oxygen in water helps flavour!’
For those using teabags and who are in a rush: stop. Don’t rush. According to PG Tips, the proper way is to ‘pop a tea bag into your mug, pour over the hot water and stir briefly’ before allowing to brew for a couple or so minutes. It’s worth the wait, and gives you chance to grab some biscuits from the cupboard.
The penultimate step is to give it a squeeze. Yorkshire Tea suggest a gentle squeeze against the side of the mug – push too hard and you’ll make it bitter.
The final stage is milk. Semi-skimmed or whole milk are the old favourites, but non-dairy alternatives are rapidly finding their way into the fridge door. Rice milk is one of the least intrusive flavours, subtly softening your tea like cow’s milk.
Sipping from the sofa
While taste is a vital part of the sipping experience, it’s important to treasure the moment in utmost comfort. We believe that the perfect brew is best enjoyed from a cosy sofa.
Whether you enjoy drinking tea while watching your favourite programme or chatting with loved ones, sit back and sip on this happy moment. Have an even surface nearby to rest your mug, but make sure you don’t forget it’s there – tea is best served hot, and a forgotten tea can only equal disappointment.
What colour of sofa do you like your tea?
There’s lots of different shading preferences when it comes to tea, so we’re going to guide you through each one by comparing them to our fabulous sofas, from milky to stout.
Oh-so milky: the Coco
If you like your brew the colour of our Coco, the first thing to check is: did you remember to put the teabag in? If your drink is the colour of this sofa then you’re likely to prefer a weaker taste while still enjoying the heated comfort.
EXPLORE THE COCO
A light splash of milk: The Glastonbury
The Glastonbury is a shade or two up the tea colour scale from the Coco, and is one for those who like an even blend of tastes.
EXPLORE THE GLASTONBURY
The Goldilocks brew: The Concetto
The Concetto – finished in fine, brown leather – is the failsafe shade of tea. Drinkers that prefer this colour enjoy a splash of milk but don’t want to weaken the flavour. Hone this hue and you’ll be surrounded by contented tea-sippers.
EXPLORE THE CONCETTO
Splash and dash: The Galleria
A thimbleful of milk is all that’s needed for a Galleria-hued brew. This cosy sofa is ready to cosset those who almost want the full flavour of the tea – but slightly softened.
EXPLORE THE GALLERIA
The purist’s choice: The Marni
Finished in the Chocolate Mix leather, the Marni represents the strongest of teas. A rare shade for the English breakfast, the dark leather of this sofa represents the no-milk option – it’s even darker than a milkless Earl Grey.
EXPLORE THE MARNIWe all have our own way of making tea, so let us know how you make yours – and where you consume it – over on Instagram.
