Tea expert warns Brits not to put the milk in first

21 April 2023 , 10:09

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Apparently there's a reason why many still put milk before water (stock image) (Image: Getty Images)

Today is National Tea Day, which unsurprisingly celebrates the drinking of tea, a habit that's quite a big deal in this country.

Over 100 million cups of tea are drunk the UK every day, and everyone has their own way of doing it, from sugary milky brews to strong cuppas with just a splash of milk.

These things can cause quite heated conversations among families and friends, and one age-old debate that is still ongoing is whether you should put milk or water in first.

To settle the conundrum once and for all, The Mirror spoke to Tea Researcher and chemist Dr Tim Bond, from the Tea Advisory Panel, who wouldn't recommend adding milk first as it's not as likely you'll get all the health benefits from the tea.

Water before milk is preferable (stock image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

He said: "Ideally milk should be added after the tea has been allowed to brew."

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According to the chemist, "tea contains flavan-3-ols, a type of flavonoids found in plants, which are linked with a range of health benefits, particularly heart health".

To get the most out of these you should "leave tea to brew for at least three minutes, preferably five minutes to allow the health giving flava-3-ols to be extracted from the tea," before adding milk.

However, Dr Bond reveals there's a historical reason many still add milk before boiling water. He explained: "Many people in the UK have long added milk to the cup before the tea because when tea was first consumed in Britain, China teacups were quite fragile such that they would crack from the heat of tea.

"Milk was added to cool the liquid and stop the cups from cracking."

Dr Bond added: "To get the best infusion and hence to gain the best health benefits from the flavonoids let the tea brew and then add the milk.

"Having said that the benefits of drinking tea are such that what's important is to drink it rather than not."

Previously, former butler to King Charles III, Grant Harrold, revealed that the Royal Family are firm believers of water before milk.

He explained in a BBC Three segment on British etiquette that since the 18th century, the 'proper' way of brewing tea is water before milk.

This is because English potter Josiah Spode decided bone china teacups were the way to go, because it didn't crack under the heat of the boiled water.

Those who couldn't afford the high-quality china had to carry on pouring milk first so their cheap crockery wouldn't crack.

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Do you put milk or water first? Let us know in the comment section below.

Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz