Non-motoring > Tea time no more?	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Rudedog	Replies: 52

New Thu 30 Jan 20 22:26   Tea time no more? - Rudedog

Heard today that Unilever is thinking about dropping the PG Tips brand! www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51309566 This is my daily brew although I do tipple in some more expensive teas in the evening. Seems the nation is moving to 'herbal' teas which to me is a bit like 'pear cider' in that there's no such thing.... it's perry! Will be sad to see it go... guess I'll have to start looking for an alternative. {edited to include a news link} Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 31 Jan 20 at 10:21 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 30 Jan 20 22:29   Tea time no more? - devonite

I read today that "boffins" have decided that the best way to make a brew is to agitate the bag! - so now I slap her bum and say two sugars dear! Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 30 Jan 20 22:36   Tea time no more? - bathtub tom

I heard today we should tear the tea bags before putting them in re-cycling. The guy that suggested this was asked about China - response was "it's not in my area". Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 30 Jan 20 22:34   Tea time no more? - sooty123

They are considering selling it on to another company as unilevers sales are slowing. I suspect you'll be able to buy them for some time to come. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 06:08   Tea time no more? - martin aston

Tea bags? They are for emergencies only. We usually do proper tea in an IKEA pot with a with a strainer insert in the middle. Left to brew for about 4 minutes it puts hairs on your chest...........mind you Mrs Aston isn't too pleased. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 31 Jan 20 06:51   Tea time no more? - Dog

>> guess I'll have to start looking for an alternative Same 'ere .. I recently (late last year) rediscovered PG Tips when I was offered a cup of cha at my local (50 smiles away) Subaru dealer and enjoyed it so mucho I asked what tea it was. I also drink Yorkshire Tea which I quite like - I like my tea STRONG so I squeeze the 'king life out of the teabag. I also drink Pu Erh and Jasmine green tea … I drink a lot of tea, knowlmean. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 07:30   Tea time no more? - Duncan

Sainsbury's Red Label. You most certainly can thank me. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 09:23   Tea time no more? - Netsur

Favourtie brew is a mix of Yorkshire Tea with Earl Grey. Introduced to me by a elderly farming wife whose land we were selling about 25 years ago. I must have had about five cups over a period of a couple of months before I twigged that there was something differnt about her tea I could not replicate at home. With a twinkle in her eye she said that she added one bag of Earl Grey to two bags of Yorkshire Tea. A mix of strength and flavour. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 09:26   Tea time no more? - helicopter

I drink Sainsburys Red Label as well Duncan. As an aside on the subject of tea bags,last week I was developing a quite painful stye on my eye. Googled for remedies and one recommendation was to bathe it with a hot tea bag .It actually works well. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 10:16   Tea time no more? - R.P.

PG Tips tea bags are awful - Yorkshire Tea for me or Glengettie. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 10:25   Tea time no more? - Zero

Coffee Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 10:25   Tea time no more? - VxFan

>> Heard today that Unilever is thinking about dropping the PG Tips brand! As per the link I added to your post, more than likely the PG Tips and Lipton tea brands will be sold off to someone else, and therefore will still available. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 10:35   Tea time no more? - Rudedog

Surely if Unilever thinks that tea is an unsustainable line then who would pick it up and carry on selling something that might not make a few quid? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 10:58   Tea time no more? - Bromptonaut

>> Surely if Unilever thinks that tea is an unsustainable line then who would pick it >> up and carry on selling something that might not make a few quid? I suspect it's making some quid but not enough. There's a long history of big companies selling brands that go on to flourish, or at least become sustainable, under new ownership. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 11:20   Tea time no more? - Ambo

My favourite version is Nestea, sold in tins in France but evidently not sold in that form in the UK. It is clear, not detectably sweetened and, served chilled, vey refreshing. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 11:54   Tea time no more? - devonite

I usually drink Yorkshire tea as I like it strong last week given a box of Tesco's own brand strong tea, in the brown box. - very nice cuppa! am now nearly converted! Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 12:11   Tea time no more? - Bromptonaut

Yorkshire Tea here too. Proper leaf stuff in a 'chatsworth' teapot with captive filter for the leaves. Yorkshire Teabags in caravan and for single cups at home though I suspect it's still cheaper to make a pot. PG in catering packs are what is supplied at work. Definitely weak and flavourless c/p Yorkshire. Worst are French teabags, weak and absurdly priced as each is individually wrapped and tagged. Found Yorkshire tea once or twice in foreign produce aisle of a hypermarket but it's very rare over there. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 16:47   Tea time no more? - smokie

Typhoo is my favourite in bags. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 19:58   Tea time no more? - Kevin

Twinings Breakfast Tea for me although Mrs K prefers their Assam. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 20:06   Tea time no more? - zippy

Mrs Z is plotting to fill the garage with PG Tips boxes, sealed to protect their flavour. Builders tea for me. Breakfast tea or Earl Grey as good seconds. Last edited by: zippy on Fri 31 Jan 20 at 20:07 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 20:12   Tea time no more? - sooty123

A Yorkshire breakfast tea for me then perhaps assam later in day. Later in the evening an earl grey. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 20:13   Tea time no more? - legacylad

Yorkshire Tea for me. Every time. 2 large mug fulls out of every tea bag. Not just because I’m from W Yorks but having tried lots of others, I really prefer it. Hate Earl Grey. Disgusting stuff. And fruit teas. What’s that all about ? If I want liquid fruit I’ll make smoothies. Iced tea. Probably ok with a double shot of tequila Just got a mug of Y tea in front of me. Ideal after a hot curry and 4 pints of Mahou. Last edited by: legacylad on Fri 31 Jan 20 at 20:14 Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 31 Jan 20 20:42   Tea time no more? - MD

I gave you one (tick) if you'll excuse the expression LL, but I would have given you more if the system allowed. I love Tea and when home in the office the kettle gets no respite. Mmmm. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 21:41   Tea time no more? - zippy

>> I love Tea and when home in the >> office the kettle gets no respite. Mmmm. >> The on switch on our kettle has broken due to fatigue! No joke, you can see the stress fractures in the clear plastic. First thing that got fixed right away. Other broken things can take weeks to fix! We both headed off to Tesco (nearest kettle vendor) to get a new one. And a spare, just in case! Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 20:40   Tea time no more? - No FM2R

>>Surely if Unilever thinks that tea is an unsustainable line then who would pick it up and carry on selling something that might not make a few quid? Unilever is a very expensive company to run. Every product has got to pay it's own way, a share of the overheads and be able to justify investment such as marketing and advertising. If the profit margins are not high enough, then however much they are selling it is a brand they need to divest. It is almost certainly profitable at a gross level, just not at a fully allocated net. Another company which has nothing like the huge head office & broad support functions to support may do very nicely out of it. Fundamentally, of course, that's why an internet based company can whip the heck out of high street prices - a fraction of the overheads. Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 25 Feb 20 at 09:38 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 31 Jan 20 20:54   Tea time no more? - Bromptonaut

>> Another company which has nothing like the huge head office & broad support functions to >> support may do very nicely out of it. QV Crosse and Blackwell, once a Nestle brand. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 09:53   Tea time no more? - The Melting Snowman

My missus and I like Sainsbury's Red Label loose leaf. We very rarely have tea bags mainly because to our tastes the quality of the tea seems poorer than the equivalent loose leaf. Also some tea bags still contain plastic and we try and do our bit to reduce yet more plastic getting into the environment. www.countryliving.com/uk/create/food-and-drink/news/a3291/plastic-tea-bags-environment/ Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 10:49   Tea time no more? - Rudedog

The one thing I will say about tea is that taste you experience can vary quite a lot depending on many things... make your regular brew and enjoy it outside and it will taste very different, usually a lot nicer! For years I was chasing a particular tea flavour that I once had when doing part-time work out on a farm, it wasn't until I happened to have my PG while out gardening that I realised that I had been drinking the same tea. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 10:55   Tea time no more? - Runfer D'Hills

Bit like Rose wine Rudedog. Tastes delightful in France in the summer, slightly chilled, outdoors in the early evening. Tastes like vinegar indoors in the UK. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 11:07   Tea time no more? - Lygonos

Tea is smelled more than tasted, hence the big differences due to environment. Yorkshire tea and Earl Grey (with milk muwahahaha) are my faves. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 11:11   Tea time no more? - CGNorwich

All holiday drinks suffer the same fate. Got a sideboard full of everything from raki to limoncello gathering dust. They all lose their appeal as soon as you enter UK airspace. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 12:40   Tea time no more? - Zero

>> All holiday drinks suffer the same fate. Got a sideboard full of everything from raki >> to limoncello gathering dust. They all lose their appeal as soon as you enter UK >> airspace. Except limoncello, but as Humph says, only outside in summer over a lot of ice. Another that makes the transition is Disaronno over ice (no other Amaretto will do), is perfect after a meal with your espresso (and in truth a nice cigar) The rest tho is as you say sheet. My mother had a thing for *Licor 43, there was gallons of the stuff around the house when she died. Much of it 43 years old. I once drunk her bottle (all of it in one session) of some Greek liquor with real gold flakes. I was seriously drunk, I mean ill drunk, we are talking semi comatose casualty-emetic-sick drunk. *I actually passed, by accident, the factory where its made on my way to Cartegena*, my mother would have been deeply disappointed to find out it was a factory on the side of the autopista *Cartagena is shut on Mondays. And I mean all of it, every attraction, bar, restaurant, even some of the carparks. Last edited by: Zero on Sat 1 Feb 20 at 12:41 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 13:44   Tea time no more? - CGNorwich

Tried the limoncello. Might be useful fo clearing the drains! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 14:58   Tea time no more? - Zero

>> Tried the limoncello. Might be useful fo clearing the drains! needs to be ice ice cold. Kept in the fridge, fantastic poured over vanilla ice cream Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 15:18   Tea time no more? - CGNorwich

A bit like I use Cassis then. I’ll give it a whirl. An exploration of my cupboard has revealed a bottle of Aguardiente given to me by my Colombian sister in law and bottle of Akpeteshie (10 years old) given to me by a Ghanaian former work colleague. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 17:08   Tea time no more? - Lygonos

>> fantastic poured over vanilla ice cream Like Grand Marnier over good pistachio ice-cream. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 Feb 20 13:02   Tea time no more? - R.P.

Chapel/Church tea always tastes special - had few brews in choir concerts and rehearsals over the last few years...always good. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 Feb 20 12:42   Tea time no more? - devonite

The biggest taste enhancer in Tea is the water it's brewed with (like Whisky), most of you will be making it with hard Alkaline ,probably several times re-cycled!,or with expensive bottled water. I can supply you with fresh, soft almost pure Cumbrian water (for a small charge ;-)) and I guarantee you will taste the difference, and if you love tea, want to move up here! ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 Feb 20 12:55   Tea time no more? - legacylad

We take Y Tea bags out to Spain. We tried tap water, every kind of bottled water available ( except with gas) and it all tastes carp. Totally different to our mugs of tea in Settle. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 Feb 20 13:10   Tea time no more? - henry k

What about the water temperature ? www.myrecipes.com/extracrispy/the-tea-temperature-trick-that-will-give-you-a-perfect-cup-every-time How to brew the perfect cup of tea, according to the scientists Scientists think they've found the perfect method for brewing tea Few subjects are more divisive than the correct brewing of tea, which remains our national drink: the British drink 165 million cups of the stuff each day, over 60 billion in a year. There are many ways to achieve the perfect cup, which are much argued over. Everyone has a slightly different method, whether it's pouring the milk in first or at the end, adding sugar or not, or how long to brew it for. As George Orwell wrote in 1946, "the best manner of making it is the subject of violent disputes." Now scientists think they have found the perfect method, and it involves a five-minute brew - not a second more or less - and drinking from a red or pink mug. Dr Stuart Farrimond, an expert tea maker, told presenter Cherry Healey how to brew the perfect cup. According to Dr Farrimond, the longer a tea is brewed for, the higher its caffeine and antioxidant content. A tea brewed for 30 seconds contained 35 milligrams of caffeine, while a five-minute brew increased the figure to 50 milligrams. Leaving the teabag in for the same period also doubled the antioxidant level. "Tea is a great source of antioxidants and these are natural substances that our body uses to help fight disease so it is important you leave it to brew", says Dr Farrimond. Dr Farrimond cited four golden rules of tea. They are: Never drink from a Styrofoam cup, which absorbs the flavour Use a red or pink mug, which makes the drink taste sweeter Filter the water, which removes calcium and magnesium residue, preventing scum from forming Brew for five minutes With so many tea-brewing methods, what do other experts say? Be patient In 2011 a study at the University of Northumbria found that it took eight minutes to make a proper tea. After eight minutes, the tea's temperature drops to 60C, the right heat to experience all the flavours at their most palatable. The method involves adding boiling water to a teabag in a mug for two minutes before removing the bag and adding milk for six minutes. But the researchers stressed it was crucial not to wait too long, 17 and a half minutes to be exact, as the tea will drop to 45C, which will damage the flavour. The 11-rule guide Author George Orwell was a tea obsessive. In January 1946, Britain still reeling from the war, he published an 11-step guide to brewing the perfect comfort drink in the Evening Standard. He insisted on taking the teapot to the kettle rather than the other way around, and encouraged tea-drinkers to avoid sugar, which destroyed the drink's flavour. "You could make a very similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water", he quipped. And what of the divisive tea or milk first debate? Tea was always first for Orwell. "I maintain that my own argument is unanswerable." The Yorkshire Tea method Yorkshire folk often claim to being the best tea brewers in the land. So how do they do it? According to Yorkshire Tea, it's fairly simple. The first step is running the tap, to aerate it and allow more oxygen to get in. After popping a teabag into your mug, add the boiling water and stir it briefly. Four to five minutes is the recommended wait time. The teabag should be squeezed, lightly, before removal. Afterwards, it's up to you whether to add sugar, milk, honey or lemon. Like Orwell, Yorkshire Tea supports the tea-before-milk method. Tea is best brewed in hot water, and the milk only serves to cool it down unnecessarily if added before the drink is properly brewed. The classic method If tea cosies, porcelain cups and loose-leaf tea are your preference, you'll find the perfect method on Jamie Oliver's website. It involves making your own teabag, by adding loose leaf tea to empty bags. Precision is key when boiling the water, and the recipe recommends keeping the temperature at exactly 96C. After brewing your tea in a pot, covered by the tea cosy of course, the teabag should be removed, to prevent the tea becoming overly bitter. No stirring or squeezing is suggested in this method. As for the tea cup, it has to be porcelain. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 Feb 20 13:31   Tea time no more? - zippy

Worried that PG Tips may be no more, or change its flavour, Mrs Z has been doing some "man maths" - how dare she! This morning I was woken up with a tea, boiled egg and soldiers and the explanation that if I moved all my junk from the garage then there is room for 11,264 boxes (the 480 size I think she said)! The pillow was lobbed in my direction when I suggested that would be fine for a month or so but what about the rest of the year!? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 Feb 20 13:46   Tea time no more? - Zero

you wait till you get into the science of perfect toast. Its all down to steam apparently Last edited by: Zero on Sun 2 Feb 20 at 13:46 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 Feb 20 13:26   Tea time no more? - Duncan

>> The biggest taste enhancer in Tea is the water it's brewed with (like Whisky), most >> of you will be making it with hard Alkaline ,probably several times re-cycled!,or with expensive >> bottled water. I can supply you with fresh, soft almost pure Cumbrian water I can assure you that all water is re-cycled and if you think that yours isn't then you aren't thinking straight. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 Feb 20 13:59   Tea time no more? - devonite

In London for example the water returns to a re-processing plant where it is cleaned re-treated and sent back out to the public (up to seven times, I recall from a TV program I once saw) before it is returned to Nature. Up here our water is "single use" before being dumped, the only recycling it gets is via evaporation and condensation, the natural way! As for ALL Water on Earth it's exactly the same stuff that the Dinosaurs drank, as Earth cannot manufacture naturally, it requires Nuclear fusion which earth does not possess. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 Feb 20 20:58   Tea time no more? - Rudedog

As far as I know no treated water is directly sent back to the public. Treated water goes straight back into rivers or into the sea to complete the water cycle. I'm on top of the North Downs but still under Thames Water and have several big underground reservoirs around here (our water pressure is extremely high), the reservoirs used to be filled with water from local bore-holes but being on the chalk downs became quite alkaline, due to bore-hole extraction restrictions most of TW water is now pumped from the Thames for treatment before going to up to the reservoirs and then to the public. Now my kettle has hardly any scale in it! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 Feb 20 22:11   Tea time no more? - Zero

>> Now my kettle has hardly any scale in it! My water is sucked out of the thames at the same place your is, and my kettle is well scaly Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 Feb 20 07:43   Tea time no more? - Lygonos

No scale in my 40yr old whistling kettle. No natural fluoride in the water either though, which helps keep Scots dentists in Porsches. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 Feb 20 08:23   Tea time no more? - Dog

I gets me water from a borehole - the water is 5.5 (acid) on the Richter scale (Ph) so's I knock it up to around 8 (alkaline) via a correction vessel containing calcium carbonate + some magnesium oxide and, there wasn't any scale on the ole Dualit kettle I threw out yesterday in replacement for a shiny new Breville jobbie. My ole brother (RIP) used to get quite awful scale build up in his kettle (really, really bad) he lived in Maidstone. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 Feb 20 19:34   Tea time no more? - MD

Kent! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 Feb 20 19:41   Tea time no more? - Dog

A London burb more-like these days, alas. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 Feb 20 12:02   Tea time no more? - Manatee

>> My water is sucked out of the thames at the same place your is, and >> my kettle is well scaly Nothing to worry about. The management ensures careful checks and it's all been passed. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 4 Feb 20 14:44   Tea time no more? - R.P.

Just dug into the Welsh Water site and found our water is supplied from the Alwen Reservoir - right up on the Denbigh Moors. Water is "soft" PH of 7 (according to a Dec 2018 analysis on the WW site) - so probably the best of the best for tea making. The only issue with the reservoir is the odd dead sheep and the odd stolen car from Liverpool or Manchester (with or without occupants).. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 4 Feb 20 17:54   Tea time no more? - Dog

pH 7.0 is neutral = medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/PH+7 Reply to this message | Report message