[Stowage222]

Bad news on the BA tea front. This week I saw the new Twinings 3 pint bags used now in CW, WT+ & WT. It says 100% black tea on the packet but on closer inspection still contains 90% dust, floor sweepings and stem. Slightly more black tea than the previous bags – you only need a magnifying glass to see the new leaves instead of a microscope. Didn’t think Twinings would stoop this low with their offering but I guess BA isn’t paying much.

[Gold-2K]

I find it mildly amusing when ordering a pot of tea in most countries is that they bring you all the ingredients separate like an episode of Ready Steady Cook!! On a recent trip to San Francisco I asked for English breakfast and was presented with a a coffee mug full of hot water, an empty tea pot minus lid, a thermos flask full of water. Flask had obviously been used for vanilla “varietal” coffee (whoever came up with that idea to make coffee taste of something other than coffee should be shot come the glorious day!!!!!!!!).

Tea bags (2) on a plate with brown sugar (no white) some lemon slices and a small metal jug of half and half! What is so difficult about assembling a pot of tea and bringing it to the table …… It’s not like you need to consult your copy of Deliah Smith, Julia Childs or any other world authority on culinary prowess! When they come to visit us in the UK we should get our own back by putting milk in their iced tea. Although actually I think Starbucks have beaten us to that with their frappé latte crappuccino chai …….. What is the world coming to!!!!!

[Bucksnet]

I wouldn’t drink Twinings anyway since they sacked their loyal workforce and moved production to Poland. To add insult to injury, they made the workforce train the new Polish workers to do their jobs.

BA should select a quality British tea for all classes, with a choice of blends in first.

[InterestedObserver]

I wish I’d known that earlier – I will stop buying the tea immediately. It seems it has already happened, unfortunately.

Twinnings is owned by Associated British Foods, and after getting the British workers to train their Polish replacements, closed the factory in North Shields in September.

http://www.facebook.com/savetwiningsjobs

[Bucksnet]

It seems the Polish workers are facing bad pay and conditions. Also, they have changed the Earl Grey blend and received mass criticism.

I wish more people would boycott these brands when they act like this. Smarties, Terry’s chocolates and HP sauce have been closed down and moved abroad as well, plus some Cadbury products. HP have also changed their recipe while still calling it original.

[NTarrant]

Putting aside the issues about Twinings closing its plant at Andover and moving abroad, all branded tea in the UK is not dust or branches. These brands cost more because they have hand picked tea rather than machine picked tea.

So when it says 100% tea it is. That is information from the British Tea Council.

[Stowage222]

Happy New Year all.

NT, the next time you fly on BA ask the crew to open a tea bag for you and THEN tell us it’s 100% black tea. I’ve worked with the tea industry long enough to recognise dust, stem and floor sweepings in a bag. It would be good to give the BTC a sample and hear their views – that would be worth reading 😉

[robsmith100]

Happy new year to you all.

It would be interesting to see what some of the world leading/top hotels/restaurants/airlines will do in light of this information. As from my experience a large number of them only every serve Twinings tea. Over the festive period i had afternoon tea a couple of times at some top places and each of them served Twinings . Can anyone suggest a better brand?

[Henryp1]

I like Dilmah tea, EK served. Not readily available in UK, but worth the effort to source when in middle east or Sri Lanka.

Henry

[Bucksnet]

http://www.whittard.co.uk

[LuganoPirate]

If you can find it, and it’s served on Swiss, tea from “L’Art du The” is excellent. It’s not dust, stem or floor sweepings, but the real thing, leaf. Open the bag and you’ll see.

[Ardmarnoch]

I think I must be a simple soul!
I like tea, made properly:
• Made in a pot
• With Boiling Water
• Brewed.
• Made, ideally with unadulterated water (e.g. NOT Bangkok tap water… and preferably reverse osmosis pure no flavour water)
• Without coffee flavouring… Why do so many airlines and hotels use the same containers for both Tea and Coffee, so you get coffee flavoured product – disgusting)
• In a sensible size drinking container (e.g. a mug, or sensible size cup – not these silly little dinky cups).
I don’t care if it is:
• Teabags
• Loose Leaf
• Any special vendor – just give me tea tasting black tea….
And yes, after getting a tip from a BBC cameraman whilst visiting a very remote part of the Canadian Great Bear Rainforest.. always take a large supply of the Tetleys with you….

[Stowage222]

Hey Ardmarnoch – very good points about provenance of the water and its temperature – both critical. I am, however, pleased to say that crew on an a/c do keep the tea and coffee pots seperate so no cross contamination should occur (not to say it doesn’t though). At the end of each return sector they are all removed by the catering company and fully cleaned before reloading onto another a/c. The main issue with the “mile high” service is the actual quality of the tea served. There is little you can do with the quality of the “Hounslow Spring” used on LHR services and the fact that water doesn’t boil properly at 35,000 ft.

[FlyingChinaman]

Stowage222: You raised a point which as a serious tea drinker would know too well – boiling water at attitude.

I have lived or visited several high attitude places and fully understood the frustration of NOT being able to bring water to a rolling boil, a must for proper tea-making.

For visitors to the US, Steven Smith Teamaker produces a range of very good quality teas comparable to some of the best teas found in the UK.

My favorite is No.47 (Bungalow) full leaf black tea or sachets. A first and second flush organic Darjeeling. Quite expensive but worth every penny.

[AlexSW1]

I always travel with my own tea bags.

I may have missed it my number one annoyance with tea in the USA is when I order a cuppa I get the cup with hot water and a tea bag on the side (I have always been taught to warm the mug or pot, put tea in then pour the lovely hot water slowly and let it sit for a minute or two.

[Author]

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