One of the supermarket own brand tea bags was also considerably cheaper
Zoe Chamberline is the Parenting Editor for BirminghamLive and is a devoted tea fan. The first thing she does when she gets up in the morning is to put the kettle on.
However, Zoe doubts that she could manage her children’s breakfasts, homework checks, packed lunch preparations, school run and getting to work without it. In Zoe’s home, they are fond of a Tetley brew, but it’s significantly pricier than the supermarket’s own brands.
So, she decided to grab boxes of everyday tea bags from Morrisons, Asda, Tesco, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s to see how they stacked up and whether she could find a more affordable alternative.
All the tea bags were biodegradable, so you can toss them directly into your composter or food waste bin, with one exception, reports Birmingham Live.
Tetley Tea Bags
Tetley Tea Bags are priced at £3.15 for 80 tea bags from Morrisons, which equates to 4p per bag.
Tetley has been crafting tea since 1837 and claims ‘only the best leaves make the grade’ and that its ‘tea tasters sample every blend at least seven times before it passes the Tetley quality test’.
Zoe said: “The bags were loose in the box rather than being wrapped in foil. The label recommends steeping the tea bag for two to three minutes before removing and adding milk.
“Refreshing, thirst-quenching and bursting with flavour, this is how tea was intended to be enjoyed. I adored it and awarded it 5 out of 5 stars.”
Sainsbury’s Red Label Tea Bags
Sainsbury’s Red Label Tea Bags are priced at £1.25 for 80 round bags, which equates to just under 2p a bag – roughly half the price of Tetley.
Zoe explained: “These bags were loose in the box and not wrapped in foil or plastic. Rainforest Alliance Certified, the tea is described as ‘rich and refreshing’ with brewing instructions of three to five minutes.
“Despite leaving the bag in for the full time, I found the tea was really lacking in flavour, just like drinking hot water with milk.
“It was quite drying on the palate. I gave it 2 out of 5 stars as I wouldn’t bother with it again.”
M&S Everyday Tea
These tea bags cost £1.25 for 80 round bags, which works out to just under 2p a bag. This is price matched to Tesco.
Described as the ‘perfect all rounder’, this is a medium strength tea to ‘enjoy at any time’.
M&S claims to ‘contribute more Fairtrade Premium for tea and coffee than any other UK retailer’.
She observed: “It came wrapped in two foil bags and had a suggested brew time of three to five minutes. I found this tea quite bland and drying on the mouth, which was surprising.
“Not one I’d bother with again, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars.”
Asda Everyday Tea Bags
These cost £1.85 for 80 round bags, which works out to just over 2p a bag.
Wrapped in two foil bags, it meant you could keep half the pack fresher for longer. The label suggested a three to five minute brew time.
Zoe said: “Rainforest Alliance Certified, these tea bags were mellow and easy drinking but not particularly flavoursome. I gave them 3 out of 5 stars.”
Tesco Original Tea
Tesco’s offering cost £1.25 for 80 round bags, which works out to just under 2p a bag.
Tesco has revealed that tea was one of the first items its founder Jack Cohen sold on his market stall back in 1924.
These bags were loose in the box and not foil wrapped.
She explained: “Certified by the Rainforest Alliance, they are described as ‘smooth and rounded’.
“Similar to the Asda tea, the label suggested a three to five minute brew time. This tea was very mellow and easy to drink, not at all bitter. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.”
Morrisons Everyday Tea
Morrisons Everyday Tea is priced at £1.29 for 80 round tea bags, which equates to just under 2p a bag. Also certified by the Rainforest Alliance, it promises a ‘deliciously refreshing flavour in every cuppa’.
She noted: “Morrisons has made the switch to plant-based tea bags, saving around 13 tonnes of polypropylene plastic per year.
“The bags came in two foil wrapped packs and had a suggested brew time of three to five minutes. I found the tea lacked flavour and wasn’t anything special. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.”
Lidl Knightsbridge Red Label Tea Bags
Lidl Knightsbridge Red Label Tea Bags are priced at £2.79 for 240 tea bags, which works out to just over 1p a bag.
Zoe said: “This enormous box was the smallest box available on the day I visited my local Lidl. There were six plastic wrapped packs of tea bags inside.
“The label provided two options for preparation, suggesting you brew for between two to three minutes for a medium strength cup or three to five minutes before removing the bag and adding milk for a stronger brew.
“The tea, which is Rainforest Alliance Certified, is described as ‘smooth and well-rounded’. However, there’s no information on the box about whether the tea bags are compostable or suitable for food waste – this was the only one that didn’t provide this detail.
“I found it to be mellow and easy to drink, but not particularly full of flavour, so I gave it a 3 out of 5 rating.”
Aldi Red Label Everyday Tea Bags
Aldi Red Label Everyday Tea Bags are priced at £1.85 for 160 round bags, which equates to just over 1p per bag.
She said: “This was the smallest box available in Aldi and the tea bags were packaged in four foil wrappers. Also Rainforest Alliance Certified, Aldi describes the tea as ‘rich and rounded’.
“I adhered to the suggested brewing time of three to five minutes, just like the others, and found it to be delicious. It was refreshing and packed with flavour, earning it a 5 out of 5 rating from me.”
Overall verdict
Finally, Zoe explained: “I was a fan of the Tetley tea but, at £3.15 a box, it was significantly pricier than all the others. It was more than double the price of tea from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons and M&S.
“But it was four times the price, per bag, when compared to the larger value boxes of tea from Aldi and Lidl. And I must admit, I enjoyed drinking the Aldi Red Label tea bags just as much as the Tetley ones.
“The larger 160-bag box of Tetley tea would have set me back £4.99 from Morrisons, whereas the 160-bag box from Aldi was a mere £1.85, resulting in a substantial saving of £3.14. That’s what I’ll be purchasing in the future.”
