‘Can I have one box of ‘normal’ tea, please?’ is what I had often been asked when I worked at a very well-known high street British teashop a few years back. Normally those who visited were seeking one of their intriguing blends, but sometimes they just wanted a nice box of ‘normal’ tea – i.e. breakfast or ‘builder’s’ tea.
Birchall Tea, based down south in Wiltshire in their fully solar powered tea factory, wants to demystify the classic British tea blend, elevate its origins and those who cultivate the tea, and provide quality tea to tea drinkers without the social or environmental cost. And with 15 Great Taste awards across their products since their rebranding in 2011, you can count on flavour being just as important as their ethics.
As a tea enthusiast who finds comfort in all kinds of cups, I was thrilled to sit down with Managing Director Dan Graham whose family history in the tea industry spans 150 years, and Head of Marketing Alex Snowden for a Birchall tea tasting.
Comparing Birchall’s The Great Rift tea to leading mainstream competitors
On average, I drink about 50 cups of tea a week – what I thought was quite a lot until I learned about Birchall’s Master Blenders 5000 cups a week. An extreme to most of us, but shows the dedication to quality that the UK’s ‘most awarded tea for taste’ is celebrated for.
After our initial chat where Dan and Alex kindly broke down Birchall’s history, ethos in tea and community, and its future, we got down to the fun part: tea tasting.
First, however, we examine the tea itself.
Birchall’s ‘normal’ tea or breakfast tea, The Great Rift, is made from 100% main grade tea from East Africa. Meaning there are no fillers and no fannings (tea dust). Its why, Dan explained, their tea leaves are nearly black compared to the brown of other leading brands.
The Great Rift
It isn’t only marketing that dictates what makes an English vs Scottish vs Irish breakfast tea. English breakfasts often balance blends of three or more teas for a mellow, earthier flavour, while Scottish and Irish breakfasts have more Assam and Ceylon for a more malty, bolder steep.
This is not universal rule, but what I have found when breaking down the ingredients of each blend. And more often than not, English Breakfast will have a Kenyan or East African tea in their blend.
The Great Rift to me is has true English Breakfast notes.
However, unlike many other breakfast teas that blend different origins, The Great Rift sticks to tea from one region – East Africa.
Tasting notes: With milk this is a solid breakfast tea with an even mellowness and slight astringency. I tried steeping it for different lengths of time and it is good both as a smooth bright cup and as a strong builder’s tea.
On its own without milk, I recommend brewing for no longer than two three minutes and you can enjoy the bright citrusy notes. Add a bit of lemon or orange and enhance those flavours. This would work well as an iced tea too.
Serengeti
Though Kenya is often the country we see the most of when it come to East African tea, Tanzania is an emerging producer in the tea industry with many community-based initiatives to support farmers and locals in the industry. Birchall in theme with their core values to pay farmers fairly, also donates 5p from each box of Serengeti to Tusk – an charity supporting conservation and community empowerment in Africa.
Tasting Notes: I actually liked this one a little better than the Great Rift, because I prefer to drink tea without milk and Serengeti is a little fruiter – reminding me of a malt loaf with a slight floral undertone.
Though I enjoyed on its own, it is still very much a great base for a milky cuppa. The fruitier notes are more prevalent when balanced with the creaminess of the milk and when made strong it has a wonderful rich profile without too much astringency.
Virunga Earl Grey
Black tea grown in Rwandan tea gardens grown slowly at high altitudes in Virunga National Park – of which 5p from each box purchased is donated to support – and blended carefully with bergamot oil.
Tasting notes: True Earl Grey lovers rejoice! Here you will not find weak notes of the citrus but bright and bold bergamot blended with a phenomenally smooth black tea base.
Green Tea & Peach
I am typically not big on fruity infusions – I enjoy the taste of tea as it is – but the one exception for me often is peach. Especially in summertime, the combination of green or oolong tea with peach is a classic combo, both hot or cold.
Tasting notes: smooth, floral green without a tract of bitterness and bursts of juicy peach
Peppermint
The go-to after dinner infusion, or at least it is mine. Peppermint is a well-known tisane to aid digestion and as someone who bloats just by thinking about food, I always have my hand up for a peppermint tea after any large meal.
Tasting notes: It’s hard to go wrong with peppermint, but because Birchall use whole leaves, the infusion feels brighter and lingers on the tongue longer.
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