Well, how do you make a cup of tea? Making a cup of tea is an apparently simple process, but it is filled with choices. Do you use a mug or a tea pot? How many mugs can you get from one tea bag? How many tea bags should be in a tea pot? Milk or sugar first? Do you put the milk in before or after you pour the tea? Or more controversial yet – do you take the tea bag out before or after putting milk in the mug?

The decisions! After making more than a few cups of tea, we have two tried and tested methods to share, that we think will give you the best result every time.

Making a cup of tea in a mug

1. Start by heating some water in a kettle or pot. The water should be boiling.
2. While the water is heating, place a tea bag into your cup. You can use any type of tea you like, but we recommend ours…
3. Once the water is ready, pour it over the tea bag in your cup. Be sure to leave enough room in the cup for milk or sugar, if you like.
4. Let the tea steep for a few minutes to allow the flavor to infuse into the water. The longer you let it steep, the stronger the flavor will be. We suggest 3 minutes for our blends – but there is no harm in experimenting!
5. Once the tea has steeped to your desired strength, you can add milk and sugar if you like. We would always remove the tea bag first, then add the milk and stir before adding the sugar.
6. Stir the tea, and then sit down to enjoy it.
7. If you are my Dad, use the tea bag for a second time, and give it a good squeeze!

And that’s all there is to it! We would probably not recommend milk with our herbal blends, but each to their own.

Making a cuppa in a teapot

Making a cup of tea using a teapot is a more traditional and, I’m told, elegant way to enjoy a cup of tea. So, here is a basic method for making a cup of tea using a teapot:

1. Start by heating some water in a kettle. The water should be boiling.
2. While the water is heating, place a tea bag into your teapot. You can use any type of tea you like, such as black tea, green tea, or herbal tea. Again, ours is an excellent choice…
3. Once the water is ready, pour it into the teapot over the tea. If it’s a big pot, use two tea bags.
4. Let the tea steep for a few minutes to allow the flavor to infuse into the water. The longer you let it steep, the stronger the flavor will be.
5. To check the strength, pour a small amount into a mug.
6. If you are happy with the strength and don’t take milk, top the tea up, add sugar to taste and voila!
7. If you take milk, rinse the mug and add milk at the bottom.
8. Then pour the tea.
9. If you do it the other way round the Scottish tea fairies will be displeased.
10. Add sugar if you like, and stir well.
11. Enjoy!

If you didn’t know how to make a cup of tea, you do now! And the Tiree way? Good and strong, with a nice biscuit.