LONDON, November 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
New proof of the nation's diversi-tea has today emerged with
research showing there are 24 million possible ways Brits make a
cuppa.
(Photo:
http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/604900/Tetley_Perfect_Blend.jpg
)
The YouGov research, commissioned by Tetley Tea to mark its 180th birthday and
analysed by mathematician Dr James
Hind of Nottingham Trent
University, factors in all possible variables when it's time
to pop the kettle on.
From brew time, milk levels and dunking behaviour to sweetener
choice, water (or milk) first and overall water temperature, the
reality is that it all boils down to personal taste.
As for the most commonly drunk cuppa, this involves 60 seconds
of brewing, a dash of cold semi-skimmed milk, three dunks of the
teabag, no sugar, drunk hot from a mug and made by the drinker
themselves.
But according to master tea blender, Sebastian Michaelis, whose taste buds are
insured for £1m, all 24 million possible cuppas start with one
perfect blend, revealing there is still science behind the art of
the individual cuppa.
That's why he has spent months with Dr Hind in the Tetley tea
rooms, where over 40,000 cups of tea are tasted every week,
developing a mathematical equation for the perfect blend that is
the basis for 24 million possible cuppas.
Perfect Blend=Sin(Y114.5⁄)√ZB+CS(π−W)(5T⁄)
The key variables centre on the process of perfecting a blend
from crop to cup, including years (Y) of experience and weight (W)
of tea in the teabag.
Also captured is the duration of training (T) for the master tea
blenders and the colour (C), size and density of the leaf; the
brew's purity of colour (its sparkle - S); the weight of the tea in
the mouth (its body - B) and the overall liveliness of the tea on
the palate (its zing - Z).
Sebastian Michaelis comments:
"What I found fascinating is that there are so many possible ways
of making a cup of tea, but there is no secret method for the
perfect cuppa. Everyone takes their tea a little differently, which
is why no one can quite make it as perfectly as you. Whether you
add milk or not, drink it weak or strong, what is crucial to a
great cup of tea however is the blending.
"The complexity of the equation reflects the many layers
required to craft the nation's favourite drink. Blending tea, like
blending whisky or champagne, is both a science and an art. Tetley
tea blenders spend five years training and honing our ability to be
able to taste and grade any of the thousands of different varieties
of tea in the world in just 15 seconds.
"Without the right balance of flavours, brightness and body,
your tea would taste less like a Grand Cru and more like cheap
plonk!"
With the blend perfected, the nation's nuances and twists on how
they take their tea then come in to play.
According to the research, 48% brew the teabag for at least a
minute, with almost a third of UK tea drinkers considering brewing
time the most important factor when it comes to making
tea.
Whilst one in 10 Brits favour a more traditional take on the
cuppa, drunk from a teacup rather than a mug, a small but
significant 3% of white tea takers opt for the less traditional in
heating up the milk first!
44% of people think they make the best cup of tea and 14% say
they prefer ones made by their partners. Meanwhile, office tea
rounds could soon be on their way out, with only 1% preferring
their colleagues' method of making tea.
Despite 'hot' being the most common temperature for tea to be
consumed, 24% of Brits prefer theirs 'warm' and a whopping 72% take
no sugar, with 17% instead opting for replacements such as honey or
sweeteners.
As for what makes the worst cup of tea, putting in too much milk
comes top (20%), followed by splitting the tea bag by squeezing it
too hard (16%) and reheating tea in the microwave (15%).
Notes to editors
The equation for the perfect blend:
- Y = years of experience (180 years for Tetley)
- W = Weight of tea in the teabag (3.125 for Tetley)
- T = duration of training for blenders (5 years for
Tetley)
- Z = Zing (1-30)
- B = Body (1-30)
- C = Colour (1-45)
- S = Sparkle (1-50)
YouGov research commissioned amongst 2,000 GB adults by Tetley,
November 2017.
About Tetley
Tetley is, this year, celebrating its 180th anniversary, after
launching in the UK in 1837. Pioneers in the tea category, bringing
the tea bag to the UK back in the 1950s. Today, a staggering 36
million cups of Tetley are drunk each day.
For further information contact
Tetley@wildcard.co.uk, +44-0207-257-6470