Afternoon Tea Ritual - Signature Earl Grey: Twinings Earl Grey Teas

Afternoon Tea Ritual - Signature Earl Grey

The story goes that Earl Grey, the Georgian prime minister, was given cases of this tea by a Chinese Mandarin. He liked it so much he brought it home and asked Twinings to recreate it for him. And that's what we've been doing ever since.

Signature Earl Grey is our unique blend that combines the finest black teas with the delicate hint of lavender flowers and bergamot to create an uplifting tea with a unique floral aroma and distinct citrus taste. Light and fragrant, our Earl Grey still has all the taste of the original. And we like to think it's still the best.

Our new mesh teabags deliver all the flavour of loose leaf tea, but with the convenience of a bag!

TWININGS TASTING NOTES

HOW TO MAKE AFTERNOON TEA RITUAL - SIGNATURE EARL GREY

The fashion for afternoon tea in England began in the 1840s when Anna Maria, 7th Duchess of Bedford, got the munchies and had a pot of tea and some slices of bread around 4-ish one afternoon.

Since then, afternoon tea has become an institution, fortunately cucumber sandwiches and cakes replacing slices of bread.

Why not recreate the romance and style of the 1840s (and impress your friends) by serving a pot of our unique Signature Earl Grey with sandwiches, scones and little pastries?

Nothing but a pure white teapot will do!

Ingredients

Black tea, just like green tea, comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

- After plucking, the leaves are laid on drying trays & withered to remove some moisture and make more pliable
- The leaves are then rolled and may be cut
- "Broken" leaves are laid out & a heady mixture of warm air, aromatic juices, bacteria & enzymes leads to oxidation (a natural reaction that affects strength & colour)
- Oxidation is stopped by firing (with hot air) when the leaves are the right (brown) colour depending on the region
- The leaves turn black as they dry
... and finally, are sorted or graded by size