Sainsbury's and Waitrose own-brand teas beat PG Tips and Tetley in Which? taste test
Britain's tea drinkers have long suspected that the humble supermarket own-brand could hold its own against the big names. Now the consumer group Which? has confirmed it: the cheapest teas on the shelf are also the best tasting, leaving PG Tips and Tetley trailing in their wake.
In a blind tasting of 11 everyday brews, Sainsbury's Red Label Tea (£1.40 for 80 bags) and Waitrose Essential Original Blend (£1.45 for 80 bags) shared top honours, each scoring 75 per cent and earning a 'best buy' award. The panel of 67 regular tea drinkers praised both for their flavour, aroma and appearance, with two-thirds saying they would happily drink them every day.
Why did the supermarket teas win?
The Which? panel rated each tea on flavour (50 per cent of the score), appearance (25 per cent), aroma (20 per cent) and mouthfeel (5 per cent). Sainsbury's was hailed as an 'excellent low-cost cuppa' with a 'pleasing' colour and a 'bitter tea twang' that more than half of tasters found perfect. Waitrose was described as looking 'just right' with an 'appealing mouthfeel' and bitterness levels that 'hit the spot'.
Co-op's Fairtrade 99 Tea Blend (£1.70 for 80 bags) came third with 74 per cent, followed by Morrisons Everyday Tea (£1.30 for 80 bags) at 73 per cent. Yorkshire Tea (Taylors of Harrogate), the most expensive in the test at £3.75 for 80 bags, was the top-scoring branded tea at 72 per cent, though nearly a third of tasters found it 'too bitter'.
Where did the big brands finish?
PG Tips Original (£3 for 80 bags) and Tetley Original (£3.15 for 80 bags) both scored 70 per cent, tying with Asda Everyday Tea Bags (£1.20 for 80 bags). At the bottom of the table were M&S Everyday Tea (£1.40 for 80 bags) with 68 per cent and Tesco Original Tea (£1.40 for 80 bags) with 67 per cent. Aldi was excluded because its tea bags were being reformulated at the time of testing.
How was the taste test conducted?
All teas were brewed according to pack instructions and tasted blind in a fully rotated order to avoid bias. Each tester had a private booth and added milk or sugar to their liking, but always in precisely the same amounts. Most (61 per cent) took milk only, while 30 per cent added both milk and sugar.
The results will come as no surprise to those who have long argued that British pragmatism beats marketing budgets. As the nation consumes an estimated 100 million cups of tea a day, the message is clear: you don't need to spend a fortune for a proper brew.
Frequently asked questions
Which tea won the Which? taste test?
Sainsbury's Red Label Tea and Waitrose Essential Original Blend tied for first place, each scoring 75 per cent and receiving 'best buy' awards.
How much does the winning tea cost?
Sainsbury's Red Label Tea costs £1.40 for 80 tea bags, making it half the price of Tetley and Yorkshire Tea.
Why was Aldi not included in the test?
Aldi's tea bags were undergoing a reformulation at the time of testing, so they could not be included.