Experts from the consumer site What? asked 79 tea drinkers to blindly taste and rate 12 everyday teas from supermarkets including Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, comparing them to major brands PG Tips, Tetley, Twinings and Yorkshire Tea.
Asda beat the big brands in a taste test to find Britain’s best cup of tea, research has revealed. Asda’s Everyday Tea Bags came out on top, scoring 72 per cent from 79 ‘experienced and committed’ tea drinkers – and it’s half the price of a cup of big brand options.
Asda Everyday tea bags cost £1.20 for 80 bags. As part of the research, 68 percent of tea drinkers said the color was perfect and 49 percent found the taste “just right.”
What? explained: “Asda is our top choice if you’re looking for a satisfying drink while keeping costs down. Our tasters gave it high marks for aroma and appearance, with over two thirds finding the color just right.
“They also liked the ‘angry’ of this tea and its bitter tea whiff, and the majority thought the taste was spot on.”
PG Tips Original, which cost £3 for 80 bags, came second with a score of 71 per cent. About 60 percent said the color is “what this cup of tea looks like” and were satisfied with the strength of the bitterness.
Tetley Original, which costs £2.50 for 80 bags, also scored 71 per cent, with tasters saying the tea has a “pleasant mouthfeel” and attractive aroma, with 54 per cent agreeing it has a strong flavour. However, 27 percent said it was too bitter for their taste.
Natalie Hitchins, what? head of home products and services commented on the results, saying: “A cup of tea is a daily necessity for millions and many of us passionately defend our favorite brand.
“Our results show that bigger and more expensive brands are not necessarily the best in terms of taste, as the supermarket’s own brand, which costs less than 2 bushels per cup, has risen up to four times ahead of more expensive competitors.
“The scores show that brands and supermarkets know that you can’t get past a low-quality cup for modest tea drinkers, but Who? has shown that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a great drink.”
