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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Grace Hoffman

Tetley's boss claims we're all making tea wrong and reveals secret to perfect brew

Ahead of the Queen 's celebratory Platinum Jubilee, Tetley boss Sebastian Michaelis has shared his expertise on making the perfect cuppa.

The tea expert shared how to make a cuppa that's even fit for Her Majesty to enjoy.

Sebastian, otherwise recognised as Tetley's Master Tea Blender, shared his exclusive insight into making tea that would be fit for the Monarch.

“Your way is the best way! Don’t let any snobs tell you otherwise," he said.

However, he does say there is a key thing we need to do to ensure it's brewed to perfection, revealing the key lies in the water used rather than the specific teabag.

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Giving an insight into a perfect cuppa, he said that drinkers should be using "freshly drawn water" rather than "any water left in the kettle.

He said: "My top tips for getting the most flavour out of your leaves include using freshly drawn water from the tap rather than re-boiling any water left in the kettle.

"Also only use the water you need to save energy!"

“I also recommend using boiling water for black tea and not almost boiling or water that boiled a minute ago," he added.

"Green tea needs to be brewed at around 85C, otherwise it will taste quite astringent.

"Another tip is to give the teabag a little stir to allow the leaves to infuse properly, but don’t abuse the poor fellow; I brew for 2-3 minutes to allow the tea to infuse properly before adding milk."

Sebastian says drinkers should typically brew their tea for 2-3 minutes (stock photo) (AFP via Getty Images)

Sharing his inside knowledge of the perfect brewing length, Sebastian ensures that whilst everyone has their "favourite way of brewing tea" - it "typically takes 2-3 minutes to infuse tea enough" to create a fully rounded flavour.

He added: "Tea brewed for less than a minute is usually thinner and one dimensional, and tea brewed for longer can start to taste ‘stewy’, to use the technical term."

He even brought tea-making down to the final and arguably most important details - when you should pour your milk.

“Do not pour milk on to a teabag before pouring on your boiling water to brew." He explained: "This will drop the temperature of the water and your tea will taste under brewed and frankly nasty."

"I personally do pour milk into my cups when brewing tea in a pot, but it’s just habit and it saves me washing up a spoon!”

Do you agree with his technique? Have your say in the comment section below.

People across the country are beginning to start the celebrations of the upcoming Platinum Jubilee, with a four-day celebration starting on Thursday, June 2.

In honour of the the Queen's remarkable 70 year reign on the throne, Sebastian shared the one tea that's fit for a Jubilee party.

"A traditional English Breakfast is my favourite and is usually a very balanced blend of Assam (thick and gutsy), Ceylon (light and floral) and Kenyan (strong and brisk)," he said.

"Some people like the citrus notes of Earl Grey to compliment a classic scone with clotted cream."

When asked whether there was a specific mug that would complete the perfect cuppa, Sebastian's answer was simple - “The perfect mug to drink your tea in is your favourite mug!"

"The taste of food and drink is massively influenced by all your senses as well as your memories, so tea in your favourite mug will always taste best."

However, to infuse the most flavour from black tea - the water needs to be boiling.

"If you brew tea in a thick mug or cup the temperature of the water will drop quicker than a thinner porcelain cup and your tea won’t brew as well," he said.

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