As one of the nation’s favourite tea brands, Yorkshire Tea has legions of fans across Britain. But with the rising cost of living, a lot of people are having to look for opportunities to save money - including on their tea intake.
It’s no secret that in Britain, we love a good brew: in fact, we get through an estimated 100 million cups of tea every day - that’s nearly 36 billion a year. So if we are going to switch from one tea to another, we need to be sure that it’s really going to hit the spot.
But with millions of people currently feeling the pinch, some are looking to supermarkets’ own-brand teas as an alternative. Our reporter Rebecca Lockwood sampled some supermarket red-label teas to see how they stacked up against the mighty Yorkshire Tea.
Read more: Nearly one in 10 people say their monthly living costs are at least £500 higher than a year ago
Yorkshire Tea
Let's start with what we're comparing these contenders against. Yorkshire Tea. It is unlike me to shout about much from across the county lines, but it is and should always be the perfect brew.
With the right amount of milk, a builder's tea with a Yorkshire bag is a moment in heaven on Earth, no exaggeration. However, while it nails being a teabag, going to buy a box to last me more than a week can be quite expensive. A box of 240 usually costs around £5, for example, but I'd always assumed you got what you paid for.
During the taste test, Yorkshire Tea was obviously in the top two. Its well rounded, brews nicely and makes for a nice sigh of relief after a first sip. But it had close competition, and I really was not expecting that.
Verdict: 5/5
Sainsbury's
A box of 40 tea bags from Sainsbury's red label costs just 60p, which is enough to make you want to scream out loud when you're used to paying anything upward of £2.50.
After brewing for three minutes, which is advised in its instructions, before me was the most golden builder's brew I could have hoped for. And then I took a sip.
If anyone drinks Sainsbury's red label tea with extra sugar, I must ask you two questions: how? and, why?
Sainsbury's tea bags are sweet enough to make me want to cut down on my tea consumption and I never thought I would say that. It looks like it could be rich, but it tastes like it has sugar in without any sugar added in. That is my only con. If you want a refreshing cuppa, this one would work for you.
Aside from this, the teabag brewed nicely and looked - okay enough. Will it be replacing Yorkshire on my cupboard shelves? No. Bottom two.
Verdict: 2/5
Aldi
The smallest box of Aldi's red label tea bags I could find was a box of 240 for just £1.59 which is impressive. In colour, Aldi manage to keep up with the rich brew of its three competitors and hopes were high.
Drinking Aldi's Diplomat teabags is like drinking a pretend cup of tea. It essentially tastes like water. Maybe it needed longer to brew, maybe it would have benefitted from a sweetener - but such solutions aren't welcome here. Within the test of tea, Aldi came out bottom, no matter how much of a bargain it is.
Verdict: 1/5
Tesco
I was optimistic about Tesco's original blend tea, priced at just £1.15 for a box of 80. On a camping trip last year, I picked up some of Tesco's Scottish blend and it is quite nice.
I have never had the original blend before though. The box says it is smooth and rounded and the box is signed by tea master, Tom Clifton, a nice touch.
To the point then, Tesco's original tea is good. If I were blindfolded, I cannot say for sure if I could tell it apart from Yorkshire. There is an edginess to Tesco's original tea which is softened on a Yorkshire Tea sip, but it is welcome. Does that mean I've found my cheaper replacement? Is Tesco really about to knock Yorkshire of the top spot?
I can't say for sure if Tesco's original blend is better than Yorkshire Tea. It could be that I am scared to admit it, having committed for so long to drinking only Yorkshire Tea. But, it's pretty clear, Tesco has knocked me off my feet and I would be happy to buy it over Yorkshire if I'm saving some pennies. That's all.
Verdict: 5/5
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