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My grandma would turn in her grave if she knew I tested these teabags by brewing them in a cup, but that’s how I drink tea mostly. Or at least I did until I met tea specialist Matt Writson, who helped me test today’s teas with the industry-standard cupping process and, afterwards, introduced me to some mind-blowing whole-leaf teas. We studied the appearance and aroma of the wet leaves in an observation bowl, then the colour and clarity of the tea itself, before supping it from small bowls and aerating the tea to maximise its surface area.

The bags I tested ranged from 2p to 34p a pop, but when you think about the quality and sourcing of the higher-priced teas, even they are incredible value. We scored them on flavour, structure and balance, plus certification, trading standards and sourcing. I also awarded points to plastic-free bags – it seems the industry is finally responding to the uproar against microplastics, though some producers need to catch up and work without the polypropylene glue that’s still often used to seal teabags.

The overall take-home is that there are some delicious brews out there, and at every price point, but if you want a true whole-leaf tea with complexity and flavour, you need to splash out.

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The best supermarket breakfast teabags

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Best overall:
Birchall Great Rift

★★★★☆

A large, square bag of 3g granules from Kenya’s Great Rift Valley that makes a bright, aromatic, full-bodied cup with brilliant clarity and great tannic structure. A clean, malty flavour with vanilla notes. Rainforest Alliance-certified and carbon neutral, too. A Great Taste star in 2025.

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Best bargain:
Tesco Finest gold

★★★☆☆

A round, plant-based bag of 3.2g Assam and Rwandan fine tea. Strong and golden in colour, with a grassy brightness, good acidity and a rounded, earthy, sweet and slightly vanilla flavour. Rainforest Alliance-certified.

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And the rest …

Good & Proper English breakfast

★★★★☆

A large, square plant-based bag filled with 3g of noticeably large broken leaves and some whole ones, all sourced directly from Assam, Kenya and Ceylon. A bright, sweet and lively cup with balanced acidity, medium body and malty, chocolatey notes. B Corp-certified and has its own in-house green policy. My best splurge.

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M&S luxury gold

★★★★☆

A round bag with 3g of dark ground granules and a light, toasty aroma. A lovely, dark tan colour in the cup. Very well-balanced, sweet and smooth (great served black, but with good structure for milk, too), with classic malty and herbaceous notes. Fairtrade-certified.

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Teapigs English breakfast tea

★★★★☆

A large, plant-based pyramid bag with 3.4g of granules and broken leaf tea from Assam, Ceylon and Rwanda. A smooth and full-bodied, mahogany-coloured cup. Brisk, strong, tannic, savoury and malty, with an orange peel florality. Rainforest Alliance-certified and works directly with the Point Foundation to support children in Africa. Great Taste one star.

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Clipper everyday organic tea

★★★☆☆

A large, square, unbleached and plant-based bag with 3.1g of organic-certified fine granules. Light-bodied and brisk, with sweet, carroty and savoury brassica vegetal notes. B Corp, Fairtrade and Soil Association certification and no plastic packaging make this my runner-up best bargain for its sustainability credentials.

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Co-op Fairtrade 99 blend tea

★★☆☆☆

A round bag with 3.3g of powder and fannings (small particles). A sweet, light-bodied, garnet-red brew with a light fruitiness and hint of malt. Delicious and incredible value for a Fairtrade-certified tea, part-sourced from Fintea Growers Co-operative Union in Kericho, Kenya.

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Lidl Deluxe rich & smooth English breakfast

★★☆☆☆

A square, plant-based bag of 2.6g super-fine tea that brews quickly into a strong, amber cup. Grassy aromas with a subtle smokiness and papery flavour. Slightly astringent, but a smooth texture. Rainforest Alliance-certified.

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Morrisons gold tea

★★☆☆☆

A round, plant-based bag with 3g of African and Indian dark brown tea granules. A quick, strong infusion, but a bit dull, with some minerality, a musty, wet-leaf aroma and a smidge of florality; a touch astringent, too. Zero plastic packaging!

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Aldi Specially Selected rich & smooth English breakfast fine tea

★☆☆☆☆

A small, square bag of 2.5g super-fine powdered tea. A quick infusion makes a strong, dark cup that’s tannic and a bit astringent, with straw, cardboard and vegetal notes. Rainforest Alliance-certified.

For more, read the best (and worst) supermarket coffee and the best coffee machines for your home