Earl Grey tea may have a history that’s steeped in aristocracy but today it’s a popular alternative for all over a traditional English breakfast blend.
Known for its floral scent and sweet citrus flavour, Earl Grey tea is most commonly made by combining black tea with oil extracted from the bergamot citrus fruit that’s native to Southern Italy.
Whether you choose to add milk, honey, lemon or whatever else to your brew is your own business, but in the interest of keeping things consistent, we stuck by each manufacturer’s brewing recommendations for the products in this article.
For this round-up, we’ve also stuck to tea sold in bags as a quicker, more convenient alternative to going loose leaf.
To go with your cuppa, why not find baking inspiration in our recipes section. We love these easy oat cookies or honey crunch creams recipes.
Best earl grey tea bags
Good Earth Crème Earl Grey tea bags
Best for those looking for a unique taste
- £2.99 for 15 tea bags
Good Earth’s Crème Earl Grey is described as a twist on a classic with the Californian brand having combined the usual bergamot flavour with hints of coconut and cream.
The rectangular bags are particularly nice looking and give a satisfying view of the colourful contents within.
Eco credentials are as good as you’d expect from a brand with this name thanks to compostable bags and recyclable packaging, plus the tea itself is Rainforest Alliance certified.
The coconut and cream flavours really give this tea a distinct twist, so it’s not one we’d recommend for the traditionalists. The sweetness really divided the opinions of our testers, but if you’ve got a sweeter tooth and are looking for something unusual then it could just become a new favourite.
The high price means that this one will likely stay a treat rather than become a staple.
What others say:
At the time of writing Good Earth’s Crème Earl Grey holds a particularly impressive 4.5/5 rating on Amazon.
Novus Sapphire Earl Grey tea bags
Best overall taste
- £4.50 for 15 tea bags
The Sapphire Earl Grey from Novus is made in the UK and promises a brew that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
Biodegradable pyramid bags contain the black leaf, bergamot and malva flower blend, and Novus recommends the tea is served without milk - instead suggesting a hint of fresh lemon.
It’s a taste that was worthy of a Great Taste gold award back in 2012 and we certainly enjoyed it. The smell is zestier than others on this list and we could definitely pick up on the subtle lemon notes Novus mentions on the back of its packet.
Unfortunately, the string and paper labels that arrive pre-glued to the bags had a tendency to split the bag itself when trying to separate them - simply not good enough at this high price.
What others say:
With an average score of 4.5/5 on Amazon, the Novus Sapphire Earl Grey is clearly a popular choice but at least one other review did mention the same bag-ripping issue we mentioned above.
Clipper Organic Fairtrade Earl Grey tea bags
Best value choice
- £3.99 for 80 tea bags
As the official tea choice of the Bristol office of Countryfile’s publishing house Our Media, Clipper’s Earl Grey is never far from our desks and will have undoubtedly fuelled countless features available on this website.
As the world’s largest Fairtrade tea brand, B Corporation certified Clipper’s environmental credentials are significantly better than most. Clipper bags are unbleached and sealed with a non-GM biomaterial that’s made from plant cellulose rather than commonly used polypropylene plastic.
Clipper’s Early grey is unusual in that it has very little smell, and it takes a while for the tea to show a strong colour – we frequently push these bags beyond their recommended 4 min brew time.
Stick with it though and the blend is smooth with a balanced flavour without any bitterness. It’s also fantastic value for money.
What others say:
At the time of writing a whopping 85% of Amazon reviewers scored the Clipper Earl Grey a full five-star rating.
Find other Fairtrade teas in our round-up of the best ethically produced food, toiletries and accessories.
Twinings The Earl Grey
The best all-round Earl Grey tea
- £3.49 for 50 bags
Earl Grey is synonymous with the Twinings name, with the brand proudly claiming its creation back in 1831 for then prime minister Charles Grey the 2nd.
Fast forward to 2023 and the Twinings box displays the signature of the 7th Earl Grey, Phillip Kent along with the Royal Warrant – Twinings has supplied tea to every British Monarch since the reign of Queen Victoria.
This is a very popular tea and for good reason. We found it difficult to fault the taste of Twinings Earl Grey once brewed for a full three minutes.
The company’s Sourced with Care programme aims to deliver tangible benefits for communities within its supply chain and claims to have positively impacted the lives of over half a million people to date.
What others say:
Almost 10,000 individuals have reviewed The Earl Grey from Twinings on Amazon and an astonishing 94% of those gave the tea either a four- or five-star rating.
