Cheap Supermarket Teas Beat Big Brands: A Quiet Blow to Corporate Power
When 100 million cups of tea are drunk across the UK every single day, the choice of brew is far from trivial. It is a daily ritual, a comfort, and for many, a small act of resistance against the creeping homogenisation of our food systems. The consumer watchdog Which? has just published its latest taste test, and the results deliver a satisfying punch to the gut of corporate branding: the cheapest supermarket own-brand teas have outperformed the industry giants PG Tips and Tetley, both in taste and in value.
Which supermarket tea won the Which? taste test?
Sainsbury's Red Label Tea (£1.40 for 80 tea bags) and Waitrose's Essential Original Blend (£1.45 for 80 bags) came out on top, each scoring 75 per cent in a blind tasting by a panel of 67 regular tea drinkers. Both received 'best buy' awards, but it was Sainsbury's that earned the extra accolade of 'great value', priced at half the cost of Tetley and Yorkshire Tea. Tasters described it as an 'excellent low-cost cuppa', with two-thirds saying they would happily make it their everyday tea. The colour was deemed 'pleasing', the aroma highly rated, and more than half found the strength of flavour 'perfect', enjoying what one might call the 'bitter tea twang' that a proper brew should have.
Why are supermarket teas outperforming premium brands?
This is not merely a story about personal taste. It is a structural critique of how we assign value in a capitalist marketplace. The most expensive tea in the test, Yorkshire Tea from Taylors of Harrogate, costs £3.75 for 80 bags, more than double the price of the winning Sainsbury's tea, yet it scored only 72 per cent. The panel found its flavour and bitterness appealing, but almost a third commented that it was 'too bitter'. Meanwhile, the Co-op's Fairtrade 99 Tea Blend (£1.70 for 80 bags) scored 74 per cent, praised for its 'good-looking' cup and 'enticing aroma', with nearly three-quarters of tasters saying they would drink it daily. Morrisons Everyday Tea (£1.30 for 80 bags) came fourth with 73 per cent, hailed as a 'decent crowd-pleaser', though some found it 'a bit on the weak side'.
How did the big brands fare in the rankings?
The results are a damning indictment of the premiumisation of everyday goods. Lidl's Knightsbridge Red Label Tea (£2.45 for 240 bags) came sixth with 71 per cent, followed by Asda Everyday Tea Bags (£1.20 for 80 bags), PG Tips Original (£3 for 80 bags), and Tetley Original (£3.15 for 80 bags), all scoring 70 per cent. At the bottom were M&S's Everyday Tea (£1.40 for 80 bags) with 68 per cent, and Tesco Original Tea (£1.40 for 80 bags) in last place with 67 per cent. Aldi tea bags were absent from the test due to a reformulation at the time of testing, a reminder that even the most accessible options are subject to the whims of corporate supply chains.
How were the teas ranked?
The methodology was rigorous and designed to minimise bias. All tea bags were blind-tasted, with the 67 participants broadly representing the profile of UK adults in terms of age and gender. The teas were tasted in a fully rotated order, and each tester had a private booth to prevent discussion or influence. Each cup was brewed according to pack instructions, and tasters added milk or sugar to their liking, but always precisely the same amount. Most (61 per cent) preferred just milk, 30 per cent chose both milk and sugar, 6 per cent added nothing, and 3 per cent had sugary black tea. The overall score was weighted at 50 per cent flavour, 25 per cent appearance, 20 per cent aroma, and 5 per cent mouthfeel, based on what tasters ranked as most important.
What does this mean for consumers and the system?
This test is a small but potent reminder that the branding machine does not always deliver on its promises. The corporate giants charge a premium for a name, a logo, a sense of heritage, while the humble supermarket own-brand delivers the same, if not better, quality at a fraction of the price. For those of us who are tired of paying for the marketing budgets of multinationals, this is a validation. It is also a call to action: to deconstruct the myths of premium branding, to question why we pay more for less, and to centre our choices not on the seduction of advertising but on the actual value we receive. In a world of extractive capitalism, where every penny is squeezed from the working class, choosing the affordable, quality option is a small act of defiance. As one activist might put it, the revolution will not be televised, but it might just be brewed with a Sainsbury's tea bag.
Photo: Metro
Related reading: The Colonial Roots of Your Morning Cuppa
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FAQ: Your questions about the tea taste test answered
Which tea is the best value for money?
Sainsbury's Red Label Tea at £1.40 for 80 bags offers the best value, being half the price of Tetley and Yorkshire Tea while scoring top marks for taste.
Why did the expensive teas not win?
The blind tasting showed that price does not correlate with quality. Yorkshire Tea, the most expensive at £3.75, scored only 72 per cent, with some tasters finding it 'too bitter'.
Are supermarket own-brand teas ethically sourced?
The Co-op's Fairtrade 99 Tea Blend scored highly at 74 per cent, showing that ethical sourcing and great taste can go hand in hand. Consumers should check individual brands for their sourcing policies.
How can I trust the results of this taste test?
The test was conducted blind with 67 regular tea drinkers, in private booths, with a fully rotated tasting order to avoid bias. Each cup was brewed to pack instructions, ensuring a fair comparison.