Do you make tea the RIGHT way?

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has some very specific advice if you’re after tips to help serve up the perfect brew,

According to the BSI, which dates back to 1901 and creates standards for companies across the world, tea should be brewed in a pot, and the milk should be put in the cup before the tea is poured.

It even states there should be 2g of tea for every 100ml of water, and the water should not be hotter than 85°C (185°F), so the milk does not scald.

The pot should be “of white porcelain or glazed earthenware, with its edge partly serrated” and there should be around 5ml of milk added to each cup, if it is large (between 57mm and 63mm tall) or half that amount if it is small (about 49mm tall).

Do cafes in the area agree with these guidelines, or do they think it’s all a lots of old tea leaves.

Cafe Lucy’s on Market Street, said they leave the important decision up to the customer.

Owner Lucy Bartle, said: “We give customers the milk separately and water in porcelain tea pots.

“I think tea is much nicer in pot rather than metal tea pots. Plus they always leak water so that’s never good if you want to make the perfect cup of tea.”

She personally thinks the tea should be added after the tea is poured - the gauge the milkiness of the tea - which she says shouldn’t be too milky.

“One tip I always do it swill the teapot with hot water before putting the teabag in there. I think it’s so the pot is warmed up so it brews better.”

She hopes they will later start serving loose tea leaves to perfect the ultimate cuppa.

Whereas manageress Maria Tsiolas at Cafe Expresso on Market Place, Sutton, said it’s all personal preference.

She said: “Our customers are very varied in the way they like their tea, some put milk in first, some afterwards, some like it strong, some like weak tea. So we serve it in a pot and let them choose.

“These instructions to make the ‘perfect’ cup of tea are rubbish. Everyone should have their tea how they like it, not how someone says you should have it.”

Manager of The Sweet Cafe on High Street, in Hucknall, said they also let the customers choose their own method.

He said: “We don’t even make them ourselves, the customer makes their own at the counter, that way we don’t get into trouble for making them too strong or two weak.”