Fish and chips pairs best with cup of black tea…

Tea Sommelier Angela Pryce has revealed which tea types go best with some of the nation’s favourite meals.

English breakfast goes brilliantly with roast beef says Tea Sommelier Angela Pryce who also advises lemon drizzle cake can be harmoniously matched with an Earl Grey as their citrus characters complement one another, while green tea combines well with spicy foods because of its refreshing and cleansing texture.

This comes as a survey of a selection of UK tea drinkers delved into tea habits across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, finding as many as one in five would have a brew with quintessentially British meals like sausage and mash or jacket potato – and a third love a cuppa with their fish and chips.

The research, commissioned by Clipper, also discovered Brits’ more surprising food pairings, finding one in 10 would drink an Earl Grey with a curry and a quarter would accompany one with a pasty. For adventurous Brits looking for new tea pairings, Angela went on to say green tea with lemon infusions can add flavour to smoked salmon, while Rooibos is best served with cashew nut or coconut-based food.

Angela Pryce:

“It’s fantastic to see Brits’ more interesting tea combinations – there really are so many great ways to pair tea with food. Camomile can be enjoyed any time of day or night, as it is naturally caffeine free. This will work best paired with lighter foods – an egg custard tart sprinkled with a dusting of nutmeg would work a treat. For a playful combination, try a gingernut biscuit with a peppermint herbal infusion.

“The fiery heat of the biscuit works in absolute contrast to the pure coolness of the mint – tongue-tingling magic.”

Bryan Martins, spokesperson for Clipper Tea:

“We’re a nation of tea lovers and foodies, and we love exploring how tea can be paired with our favourite meals, as well as the dishes people are already enjoying with their daily brew. It’s clear that great tasting tea complements any meal and is the number one factor for people when choosing the perfect blend.

“There are so many tea varieties with distinctive tasting notes and aromas – a delicious cuppa can really make it better.”

According to the survey, almost a quarter of adults like to be adventurous with different flavours of tea. Breakfast came out on top as the most popular meal to have with a brew, with 56 per cent also having a cuppa with their lunch and 63 per cent with dinner. And when choosing tea, taste was seen as the most important factor according to 87 per cent of UK tea drinkers – with one in six adding that having a cup of tea is the highlight of their day.

The survey, carried out via OnePoll, also saw English breakfast crowned the most popular tea flavour, followed by Earl Grey, green tea and a peppermint infusion. And two-thirds agree tea is the most comforting drink with a further six in 10 admitting a brew was able to get them through the winter blues.

This comes following the recent launch of Clipper Teas latest consumer campaign, which saw it challenge people to ‘Make it Better’ and not settle – especially when it comes to tea – whatever it’s paired with.