Earl Grey Teas: the best of this true English classic
A true English classic
Our Earl Grey teas blend the finest loose leaf black teas with 100% natural oil of Bergamont for a quintessentially English cup of tea. From the perfect simplicity of our Breakfast Earl Grey to the fragrant Lavender Earl Grey, we are delighted to bring you a collection of Earl Grey teas which showcase the very best flavours of this famous cuppa, plus some more unusual varieties which will surprise and delight you! You’ve tried the same old supermarket versions - now treat yourself to the real deal!
The history of Earl Grey tea
The Earl Grey blend, or "Earl Grey's Mixture", is assumed to be named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s, who is famous for abolishing slavery but is equally well known for the tea named in his honor! Charles Grey reputedly received a gift of tea flavoured with bergamot oil as a result of his ending the monopoly held by the East India Company on trade between Britain and China. A "Grey's Tea" is known from the 1850s, but the first known published references to an "Earl Grey" tea are advertisements by Charlton & Co. of Jermyn Street in London in the 1880s.
Should you drink earl grey with milk?
Although Earl Grey teas were traditionally made from mild black China tea leaves and were not intended to be drunk with milk, we stock a variety of Earl Grey’s which combine stronger leaves - including Ceylon and Yunnan - which pair superbly with milk or cream. We recommend giving a variety of our Earl Grey’s a whirl to discover which combination you prefer.
What is bergamot?
Bergamot is a small citrus tree, probably a hybrid of sweet lime and bitter orange and grown commercially in Calabria, Italy. The flavour is delightfully citrussy and possesses known health benefits due to the high presence of flavonoids, which are thought to help lower inflammation and aid digestion.
Which Earl Grey teas should I try?
Try our ever-popular Earl Grey Reserve with beautiful blue cornflowers. Or for a right Royal cuppa sample our Smoky Earl Grey - combining smoky Lapsang Souchong and bergamot - and which is reputed to be the favoured tea of HRH Queen Elizabeth! In addition to black Earl Grey teas we also have White Earl Greys, Sencha Earl Greys, Rooibos Earl Greys, Organic and tea bag versions available.
