Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make the perfect cuppa?
  • Tea should be made with boiling water, and only once-boiled water with a low mineral content. Use one tea bag or rounded teaspoon of loose tea for each cup served.
  • If using a teapot, warm the teapot before adding the tea.
  • For Black tea, pour the water as soon as it’s boiled to deliver the best taste.
  • For Green tea, allow the kettle to cool for up to two minutes to avoid a bitter taste.
  • For tea bags, add the milk (semi skimmed is recommended) after the water to avoid hindering the infusion process.
  • Leave the tea bag in for at least two minutes to let the flavour of the tea infuse.
  • After removing the tea bag, leave the brew to cool for two minutes for a better quality taste.
How much caffeine is there in a normal cup of tea?

(Caffeine figures based on 190ml cup, although amounts can vary)
Tea : 30-50mg
Tetley decaffeinated tea : c.2.5mg

A cup of tea typically contains between 30 and 50mg of caffeine depending on what tea is in the blend, the origin of the tea and the drop weight of the tea bag (a bag with 3.125g of tea will have more caffeine than a bag with 2g). The caffeine released in the first minute is the highest and then gradually diminishes. Manual compression and agitation like squeezing and stirring accelerates brewing of the tea bag and therefore also the extraction of caffeine into the brew.

Does green tea contain less caffeine than black tea?

Green and black tea are both derived from the same plant (Camellia Sinensis) and their leaves contain similar amounts of caffeine. However, the caffeine content of a cup of either regular (black) or green tea again depends heavily on preparation method (brewing time, stirring), the amount of tea leaves used, the size of the leaves and variations in the plant itself.

A cup/mug of tea, whether green or black, will contain 30-50mg of caffeine depending on how much tea is in the tea bag and the length of the infusion time.

Where does your green tea come from?

Our green tea blend comes from China, Kenyan and Argentina. We take extreme care that the tea tasters/buyers/blenders select only the very best teas for Tetley, with all the checks and tests required to ensure a great tasting drink that is good for you.

How is vitamin b6 good for me in your super green tea boost products?

Vitamin B6 plays a number of roles within the body. People who are vitamin B6 deficient can be tired and have fatigue. Correcting this by consuming additional vitamin B6 can reduce tiredness and fatigue and therefore help normalise their energy levels. People with adequate B6 levels will not benefit from additional B6.

How is vitamin c good for me in your super green immune products?

Vitamin C plays a number of roles within the body. People who are Vitamin C deficient may benefit from consuming additional Vitamin C – their immune function will return to normal. People with adequate Vitamin C levels will not benefit from additional vitamin C (it will not “supercharge” their immune system).

Can I add milk to my green tea?

We’d recommend that green tea is best enjoyed without milk – but it’s all down to personal taste.

Why can’t I find Tetley estate selection on the shelves any more?

We recently renamed it Tetley Kenyan Gold and it’s now part of the new Tetley Blend Collection range (which also includes Tetley Extra Strong and Tetley Blend of Both). We wanted to be more specific about what the product is and for people to know that this is a special tea from Kenya.

How did you decide on the 72/28% split of black/green tea in blend of both?

Our Tetley tea experts blended the best combination of original Tetley tea with green tea to ensure the Blend of Both tea tastes really nice and refreshing and can be drunk both with or without milk – just like your normal cuppa.

How should tea be stored?

It should always be stored in a cool, dry place, away from strong odours and in a sealed container.

How many tea bags do you produce every week?

As at July 2015:

  • 41,000 tonnes of tea per annum is used
  • That’s equivalent to 780 tonnes of tea per week
  • On average we produce approximately 262 million tea bags per week which works out to be about 52.4 million tea bags a day (calculated on 5 days)
Can you tell me about your association with the rainforest alliance?

We are very aware of our responsibilities to the people who grow and pick our tea, and of our responsibility to help sustain the environment on tea estates. One of the ways in which we are fulfilling these responsibilities is through our collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance.

At the start of 2010, Tetley announced its commitment to purchase all of the tea for its branded tea bag and loose tea products from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. All Tetley branded black, green and red (Rooibos) tea, including flavoured and decaffeinated varieties, will be part of the certification programme which is scheduled for completion by 2016.

You can find out more about the Rainforest Alliance and the work they do via their website www.rainforest-alliance.org

Do Tetley tea bags contain plastic?

Here at Tetley, sustainable sourcing is very important to us. We continually seek to work with our suppliers to improve and explore the most sustainable production processes and methods. 

We’ve worked hard to ensure that our tea bags are 99% bio degradable. However, as a result of the manufacturing process, Tetley tea bags do contain a very small amount of plastic to ensure the bags remain closed for you to enjoy your cup of tea. 

For more information please read on: https://www.tea.co.uk/news/the-power-of-the-humble-tea-bag

What sort of things can I order from your website?

There are all manner of goodies from delicious Tetley teas and infusions to fantastic Tea Folk merchandise – all delivered direct to you. Pop along and have a look: www.tetley.co.uk/shop

I’m having trouble placing an order on the Tetley shop – can you help?

Give us a call on 0800 387227 (or 1800 409251 from ROI) and we’ll sort this out for you.

What are the postage costs for the items on the Tetley shop?

The delivery charges are included in the price you see for the items - what you see is what you pay!