Although not all stereotypes ring true, there's a certain line around Britons enjoying a cup of tea which simply cannot be refuted.
It's the nation's favourite beverage for a reason, with an estimated figure of 100 million cups drank daily across the United Kingdom alone - according to the UK Tea and Infusions Association. A sum which racks up to 36 billion yearly.
And whether you're a Tetley Tea fiend, Yorkshire Gold gulper or seek the 'ooo' you'll only get with a Typhoo, we can all agree that a cup of tea hits the spot like no other beverage.
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And while many will enjoy the beverage on its own, others may opt for the classic addition of a biscuit or two with their cuppa. The pairing go hand in hand like chalk and cheese, salt and pepper, Batman and Robin.
We all have our favourites, but some are simply not a good match-up when dunked in the hot drink - crumbling, snapping and descending to the abyss that is the bottom of your mug, never to be seen again. So I decided to go out and buy some popular biscuits, to see if they would hold up to the test of time in a cup of tea.
And because there's a cost of living crisis on, I thought I would ditch the premium names and head straight to the budget-brand section of my local Morrisons, to see if I could save a bit of money while keeping my taste buds happy.
After all, if a biscuit holds up but tastes terrible, what's the point? Here's what I found.
Oat Nobblies - 89p
The Oat Nobblies held up in terms of taste and structure in my honest opinion - by far one of the more reliable accompaniments on this list. The knock-off Hobnob tastes very similar to its McVities counterpart, and is almost un-demolishable when it comes to the dunk test - standing strong after six or seven lengthy dips.
Taste: 8/10
Dunk-ability: 10/10
Milk chocolate digestives - 89p
For me, the real star of the show. Not only does the Morrisons own-brand biscuit taste identical to a premium-brand product, sweet and rich but never sickly, but after a record ten dunks it looked completely untouched...minus a little melted chocolate on the top.
A real winner for just 89p, considering a packet of premium chocolate digestives can easily exceed a price point of £1.50.
Taste: 10/10
Dunk-ability: 10/10
Bourbon Creams - 79p
Don't get me wrong on any account, I could certainly go through a packet of these - but I don't think I would want to...the moreish factor simply isn't there. Not so much unpleasant as they are just bland and plain, there's only a subtle hint of chocolate in these, which is mind-blowing considering that's all they're made up of.
Far too sugary too when it comes down to it, and simply not rich enough for my liking. Structurally, I also thought these would have been a winner due to their thickness - but they started to crumble after the five or six dunk mark.
Taste: 6/10
Dunk-ability: 6/10
Custard Creams - 79p
Slightly better than it's chocolate counterpart, the custard cream from Morrisons still misses the mark slightly. There's that patented vanilla essence bursting from within, but it's not as flavoursome as some of the better selling brands.
Again, the same goes for integrity when submerged in hot tea - with the biscuit starting to dissipate after around about six dunks.
Taste: 7/10
Dunk-ability: 7/10
Nice biscuits - 79p
Can you really go wrong with a nice biscuit? I don't think I've ever had a bad one, and I certainly won't be complaining about Morrisons' own-brand offering. Cute, light and incredibly moreish - this take on the classic tea partner is done right!
We all know however, that they have about as much structural integrity as a sopping wet cardboard box one submerged though, so no surprises here.
Taste: 9/10
Dunk-ability: 3/10
Ginger Nuts - 89p
I may be a little biased as I can't think of a worse biscuit out there than a ginger nut. I'm sure I'll be told how wrong I am in the comments of this article, but I've tried and tried to get my palette to adapt to them, and failed every time. I just don't think it's meant to be.
I will say that they are incredibly pungent however, which can only be a good thing? And in terms of dunk-ability they are a strong contender too. Still holding strong after seven or eight dips in a cup of the finest Tetley's.
Taste: 2/10
Dunk-ability: 8/10
Fig Rolls - £1
I do however love, love, love a fig roll - however it's only once in a blue moon that I'll get to enjoy one. My nana usually has an abundance in stock when I go to visit her, and I'll never turn one down. That is unless she offers me one of these painfully bland ones from Morrisons.
I'm not sure what went wrong, but these ones are stupendously vacant in terms of flavour - and also incredibly dry to the point they taste powdered. Structurally also, I'm pretty sure they're not built for dipping - and almost jellify after two or three dips.
Taste: 3/10
Dunk-ability: 2/10
Jaffa Cakes - £1.35
I'm certain that these bad lads aren't meant for dipping, and I've never so much as heard of anyone even attempting to do so. So this was a real experiment - maybe even a world first! What I will say though is that I was pleasantly surprised with how well they held up.
I thought that the Jaffa Cake would sink to the depths of Atlantis itself after one sole dunk, due to its soft top and spongey bottom - but much to my surprise, it held its own until the four or five dips before disfiguring to mush.
Taste-wise, absolutely spot on also. A replication of the popular McVitie's treat.
Which obviously begs the age old question: Are they a cake, or are they a biscuit? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Taste: 8/10
Dunk-ability: 5/10
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