You’d better go put the kettle on. There’s no way you’re making it through my guide to the best English Breakfast teas without needing a cuppa!
A good English Breakfast tea (not to be confused with an Everyday Tea) doesn’t just depend on how you brew it. The origins of the tea and brand you select is very important too. So, who makes the best English Breakfast tea?
It really depends on your tastes. I like teas that have depth, complexity, and are utterly satisfying to the very last sip. If that sounds good to you, read my list of the best English Breakfast teas below.
I’ve included links to my full reviews and places to purchase these teas as well.
What Makes an English Breakfast Tea?
According to Wikipedia, “English breakfast tea is a traditional blend of black teas originating from Assam, Ceylon and Kenya. It is one of the most popular blended teas, common in British and Irish tea culture.”
Ultimately, English Breakfast Tea is a blend of different black teas to create a full-bodied and rich cuppa that must be served with milk. That’s why I’ve included Teakruthi Colonial Mornings, because it fits the definition and is designed as a breakfast tea. I haven’t included other breakfast teas, such as T2’s Melbourne Breakfast, as it is flavoured with vanilla. If a breakfast tea contains anything other than multiple black teas, I don’t consider it a true English breakfast tea!
You’re welcome to add your thoughts on this – use the comments at the end of this article or join the conversation on my Instagram posts @izzysden.
The Best English Breakfast Teas (Reviewed)
These are the 12 highest-scoring English Breakfast teas that I have personally reviewed. You can find links to buy them (or check the price) as well as my official reviews if you want to learn more about them.
I only recommend teas that I have tried first-hand. All opinions and photos are my own. If you want to learn about how I review and rate teas, read the guide at the end of my Tea Review Index.
Teakruthi Colonial Mornings
- Teas: blend from various tea estates in Dimbula, Sri Lanka
- Formats available: loose leaf
This blend champions the gorgeous black tea grown in the Dimbula region of Sri Lanka. I marvelled at the delicious depth of this malty and full-bodied English Breakfast tea the first time I tried it! If you drink loose leaf tea (or want to start) then this is a beautiful daily tea to try.
It’s mid-strength, full-bodied, and smooth with or without milk. It also has some malty fruit notes, almost like a classic tea loaf.
Teakruthi Colonial Mornings scores 3.9 on my rating system, which is very impressive for a BOP1 grade tea. I highly recommend you give this one a try. Read my full review to learn about the brand.
Whittard English Breakfast Tea
- Teas: blend from various tea estates in West Java, Indonesia
- Formats available: teabags, loose leaf
Whittard have a very strong contender for the top spot with their English breakfast blend. They gave their breakfast blend the number 1 in their collection, because it’s such a classic. Walter Whittard first created the blend from black teas grown in West Java over a century ago… and Whittard of Chelsea are still using that same blend today.
I found this tea to be utterly satisfying. It’s rich, thick and malty with a good dose of tannins. This one must be served with milk to transform it into an English Breakfast tea with unmistakable heart. It’s available as teabags and loose leaf.
Hampstead English Breakfast Tea
- Teas: blend from organic and Fairtrade estates in India and Africa
- Formats available: teabags, loose leaf
I consider myself incredibly lucky to have been sent this gorgeous English Breakfast tea by Hampstead Tea! It’s a blend of black teas from Africa and India, but what really makes the sourcing special is that it’s certified both organic and Fairtrade. The packaging is entirely biodegradable too!
As for the flavour, this one is quite light, malty and smooth with a natural sweetness that really appeals to me. Hampstead English Breakfast Tea is also at a very good price and can be purchased on Amazon. I really love what this brand is doing and I’m delighted that I can include them on this list.
New English Teas English Breakfast
- Teas: blended from various Ceylon teas (Sri Lanka)
- Formats available: teabags, loose leaf
New English Teas package their English Breakfast blend into a range of novelty tea tins, but as I discovered, it’s not just a trap for the tourists. In my review, I explored the loose leaf version of their English Breakfast blend and was happily surprised to find it was delicious.
It’s strong, rich and smooth. The perfect formula for a great English Breakfast tea. I was also impressed with the price – compared to Teakruthi and Whittard, this tea is a bit more affordable as an everyday cuppa. The best place to find it is Amazon.
T2 English Breakfast
- Teas: blended from various Ceylon teas (Sri Lanka)
- Formats available: teabags, loose leaf
This one is very smooth and satisfying, with all the rich and tannin flavours you need from a great English Breakfast tea. Compared to the higher-ranked English breakfast blends, however, it lacks that malty fruit complexity that loose leaf lovers expect.
Nonetheless, T2 English Breakfast is a really tasty and easy to drink cuppa. You could serve this to anyone – tea connoisseur or not – and they would finish their cup. Make sure you bring out the biscuit tin too though!
You can find this one in pyramid tea sachets or as loose leaf tea, from T2’s official UK website.
Clipper English Breakfast
- Teas: blend from Sri Lanka and the Assam region of India
- Formats available: teabags
I describe Clipper English Breakfast tea as simple but perfectly executed in my full tea review, and I stand by that today. Many people have loved drinking Clipper teas for years already, as they’re commonly found on the supermarket shelves along with Twinings, Pukka, and PG Tips.
One of the main draws to Clipper is the quality. Unbleached, biodegradable teabags and tea that’s certified Organic and Fairtrade. While the tea it makes is quite simple, it’s also delicious and impossible to get wrong. You can usually pick up Clipper Everyday tea at the supermarket, while this English Breakfast blend is sometimes only found online.
Twinings Strong English Breakfast
- Teas: blend from Sri Lanka, the Assam region of India, and East of The Great Rift Valley in Africa
- Formats available: teabags
I actually reviewed this tea before I reviewed Twinings English Breakfast itself! Also known as 1706 tea, this Strong English Breakfast blend has the classic trio of black teas – Indian, Ceylon, and African. As the name suggests, it’s a strong brew.
If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t have the patience to wait 5 minutes for your tea to brew strongly, Twinings Strong English Breakfast is the solution. It gets malty and bold in just a minute or two.
This tea is not part of Twinings’ most popular line, so it’s only available in one format – teabags. You can buy it directly from their website (link below) or through Amazon if you are overseas.
Ringtons English Breakfast
- Teas: blend from Kenya and the Assam region of India
- Formats available: teabags
This was a gem of a tea that I picked up from a hotel room, pre-pandemic. It’s a simple and warming cup of tea that’s designed to be consumed without much thought. When you wake up at 6am and pop the kettle on, this is the kind of tea you can brew on autopilot and it will still turn out nicely.
Ringtons are a proper British brand too, and their teas are loved by non-tea-lovers. If you usually drink Yorkshire Tea, PG Tips, or the own-brand tea from your local supermarket, this is a good step up from that. It’s available in teabag format, for convenient brewing.
BOH English Breakfast
- Teas: blend from various estates across Malaysia
- Formats available: teabags
An interesting offering from BOH! Although it scores the same as the classic Ringtons English Breakfast blend, this one is more unique. Amidst the smooth, robust, typical black tea flavours, you’ll find curious floral notes.
This Malaysian tea is bright, robust and very pleasant with a splash of milk. It’s got an edge over the other English Breakfast teas on this list, thanks to that light floral hint. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I certainly hope it will tickle your tastebuds in just the right way.
BOH sell this tea internationally through Amazon, available as teabags.
Twinings English Breakfast Tea
- Teas: blend from Assam (India), Sri Lanka and Africa
- Formats available: teabags, loose leaf
Ah, the traditional Twinings English Breakfast Tea! Although, considering that it scored lower than the beautiful Strong English Breakfast from Twinings, I guess it’s no longer the top dog. Well, on my blog at least.
This tea is well-rounded, smooth and simple. It’s golden and tasty, but there’s really nothing special about it. Sure, I could drink Twinings English Breakfast tea by the bucket, but I never feel the need to slow down and savour it.
Nonetheless, if you’re looking for something reliable then you cannot go wrong with this option. It produces a golden, mellow and subtly sweet cuppa every time you brew it. You can find the price to buy it directly from Twinings below, or go to Amazon instead.
Ahmad Tea English Breakfast
- Teas: blend from Kenya, Sri Lanka, and the Assam region of India
- Formats available: teabags, loose leaf
Second to last on my list, but certainly not the least appetising, is Ahmad Tea English Breakfast. Ahmad Tea London are a respectable and historical tea brand that’s popular in the UK and with many tourists who visit the capital. They have a wide range of teas and their English Breakfast isn’t one to miss.
I found this English Breakfast blend to be fresh, warm and smooth with sweet malty notes that are very pleasant with a splash of milk. You don’t need to add sugar to this tea, but you can if you have a particularly sweet tooth. It’s available as loose leaf or teabags.
Lichfields English Breakfast Tea
- Teas: blend from Kenya
- Formats available: teabags
With the lowest score (at the current time), Lichfields English Breakfast tea wasn’t a great blend. You may have seen Lichfields teas in British chain hotels – Premier Inn or Welcome Break – but you won’t find them in the supermarket. They don’t even have their own website!
Instead, Lichfields sells their teas to other brands. Their English Breakfast blend is a nice warm colour but has a plain, astringent flavour. It really lacks the vibrancy and rounded, full-bodied richness that an English Breakfast blend should have. Nonetheless, you can find it available on Amazon in the UK.
Upcoming English Breakfast Teas…
These are a handful of the best English breakfast teas (according to online reviews) that are on my radar. I cannot vouch for them personally, but I can confirm that they are high on my shopping list. They will be added as my blog grows! In the meantime, check the links to see what they’re all about.
- Breakfast BRUU – loose leaf goodness from my favourite gourmet tea brand.
- Teapigs English Breakfast Tea – available loose or bagged, but always whole leaf.
- Vahdam English Breakfast Tea – golden-tipped tea for an extravagant English Breakfast.
- The Wee Tea Company Breakfast Blend – full-bodied, malty and rich. A signature blend.
- Taylors of Harrogate English Breakfast – described as rich and bright with second flush leaves.
FAQs
What is the best English tea brand?
This is a controversial question as it all comes down to taste. In 2020, Statista recorded that PG Tips is the most popular tea brand in the UK, but to be honest… I wouldn’t drink them if they were the last tea brand on Earth. My money is on Teapigs and Twinings for bagged tea, and many independent sellers for loose leaf tea.
What tea is used in English Breakfast?
Traditionally, English Breakfast tea is a blend of black teas sourced from Kenya, India, and Sri Lanka. Many modern English Breakfast teas still source their leaves from these countries and blend them to unique and secret recipes.
What is the difference between Earl Grey and English Breakfast Tea?
English Breakfast tea is a blend of several black teas to create a simple, malty and rich black tea. Earl Grey is a single black tea (not usually a blend) that’s flavoured with bergamot. The bergamot fruit is a Mediterranean citrus fruit and it gives Earl Grey a delicate, refreshing and almost floral flavour.