French Earl Grey

From Princess Catherine of Braganza to Tea Rooms, Afternoon Tea, Cream Tea and Devonshire Tea. 

The journey from England's first introduction to tea in the mid 17th century to the delight we know as Devonshire Tea today was history in the making and now a pillar of 21st century British tea-drinking culture that is enjoyed all over the world.

Not everyone loves Earl Grey tea, but there are a couple of reasons Earl Grey tea is often particularly unpleasant - and doesn't need to be.

The first reason is that low-grade black tea is used. A simple trick big tea companies use to lower costs is to douse low-grade teas with flavouring. The aroma may be pleasant at first and it sets you up to expect a good brew. Sometimes this placebo effect works! Unfortunately, the poor quality usually makes its way through towards the end of each sip, and the lasting experience is not pleasant.