The Tea That Earned Its Name

It's happening. The days are getting shorter, and the mornings are feeling slower. The first proper job of the day is finding a reason to get up before it's properly light outside. For most of us in this family, that reason has always involved a kettle, on well before anyone's had a chance to get dressed.

Our house blend has been doing that job for years, though it hasn't always had a name. A friend of ours, drinking it on holiday, took one sip and said "this is a real belter." A belter, if you haven't heard the word used this way, is something outstanding. You'd say you'd watched a belter of a rugby match, or read a belter of a book. We liked it enough to put it on the label, and it's been the belter ever since.

What makes a strong breakfast tea

The belter is the builder's tea of our range. Strong enough to give coffee a run for its money, with a malty depth that holds its own against milk rather than disappearing under it. It wants a good four minutes to brew properly, and a mug with a bit of weight to it. This isn't a tea for sipping delicately. It's a tea for getting on with the day.

Brew it with water just off the boil, four minutes if you like it strong, five if you're not counting. One spoon per cup, or two if you're making a pot for the table. It holds up well to a good splash of milk, which is exactly the point of a tea like this.

The belter, loose and ready to brew.

Right now the 2 x 500g bag is 20% off. There's nothing wrong with it, the tea inside is exactly as strong as it's always been, it's simply edging towards its best before date of 13 December 2026 and we'd rather pass the saving on than let it sit on the shelf.

The 2 x 500g bag, reduced while it's still short dated.

A gentler alternative

If the belter is more than your morning calls for, our oriental club blend was made for exactly that gap. Our master blender combined the strength of Assam with the delicate flavour of Darjeeling, a pairing first put together for the Oriental Club in London. It has the same backbone without quite the same shove, and it takes milk just as well.

Oriental club blend, an Assam and Darjeeling pairing for a gentler start.

Both are loose leaf. Both take well to a splash of milk. Both are a good deal better than whatever's been sitting at the back of your cupboard since spring. Have a look at the belter and see if it earns a place in your morning. Join the family, and see which one becomes your new every day.

Shop the belter

Happy brewing,
The Bellevue Team