Nation’s favourite cuppa revealed – and surprising budget brand comes out on top

The UK’s favourite cup of tea has been revealed in a blind taste test, with a surprising supermarket own brand beating out the competition.

In the study conducted by Which? a panel of “experienced and committed tea drinkers” tasted 12 different teas. These were from big brands like PG Tips, Tetley, Twinings and Yorkshire Tea, alongside supermarket brands from the likes of Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

It was a close contest, says the consumer watchdog, with only one percent separating the winner and several joint second place runner-ups.

Taking the top spot was Asda’s ‘Everyday’ teabags, one of the cheapest on the list at £1.20 for 80 bags. The brew was given high marks for aroma and appearance, with half of the 79-person panel saying the flavour was spot on.

The three joint-second place were PG Tips Original, Sainsbury’s Red Label, and Tetley Original, all scoring 71 percent. The tasters rated the taste, mouthfeel, aroma and appearance of each brew.

In joint-bottom place with a respectable 67 percent was Tesco Original Tea and Twinings Everyday.

Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: “A cup of tea is a daily essential for millions and many of us will passionately defend our favourite brand.

“Our results show that the bigger and more expensive brands aren’t necessarily the best for taste – with a supermarket own-brand costing less than 2p per cup emerging ahead of rivals costing up to four times as much.

“The scores demonstrate that brands and supermarkets know you can’t get a sub-standard cuppa past a nation of discerning tea drinkers – but Which? has proved that you don’t need to spend a lot for a good brew.”

Dating back to the 17th century, a cup of English Breakfast tea has long been a favourite beverage for the nation, any time of day. Unfortunately, recent economic pressures have led to the cost of a regular bag increasing rapidly in the past few years.

The average value of 250g of teabags was £2.62 in July, according to the ONS, up 34 percent from £1.95 in July 2021. This is due to the rampant inflation of the past few years – peaking at 11.1 percent in 2022 – which has seen household costs rise across the board.

As the new study from Which? proves that budget choices can be just as appealing as the top brands, more may decide to switch brands as the price of tea continues to rise.