My Morning Cuppa

I’m working with one of the oldest tea firms in the world – Twinings.  They have over 300 years of experience, and that goes into every cup of tea that they produce.  Twinings wanted me to share with you my weekday morning routine, and it’s just that really, a strictly adhered to regimen, that without a doubt, always involves that first cuppa in the morning.

So here goes….I wake up, let the dog out, and put the kettle on. It’s instinctual I think, not only do I feel like I can’t function without my morning cuppa, I simply don’t want to. That first cup of tea of the day, well it the best one isn’t it? If only every morning was a leisurely one.  I’m thinking with pastries, reading the newspaper on my iPad whilst I drink my first cup of tea at the perfect temperature, sipping that just strong enough amber nectar that both warms and satisfies my thirst.  Perfect.

Research has shown for almost three-quarters of Brits (74%) tea is the first drink of the day, apart from water.  Making tea is the very first thing that a third of Brits (34%) do as soon as they get out of bed in the morning, even before checking emails and social media (25%) or speaking to their partner (13%).

Whilst the kettle is boiling I then quickly do the packed lunches and make breakfast for the kids.  It’s then that I take the just off the boil water and make myself that first cup of tea of the day.  I give myself those 10 minutes before I start my day, allowing my mind to wander. I love this time, peaceful and reflective and it wouldn’t be complete without that first cup of tea whilst I did it.  Of course the morning can be organised chaos and sometimes, the smallest thing can take you off kilter. So interruptions at this point are ones I dread, as I feel like that first 10 minutes as I enjoy my tea, are incredibly precious.

Now for my first cup of tea I like to be strong, just a tiny bit of milk and definitely no sugar.  Up until recently I’d not tried this Twinings – English Strong Breakfast blend, it’s very different to the English Breakfast I have used before. It’s strong, with a full round flavour and a great quality tea. Apparently the leaves are from the best tea gardens in Assam, Africa and Sri Lanka. Of these, the African teas grown to the East of the Great Rift Valley make it particularly special. I’m not an expert, but I would describe the tea as strong and bold and lively in flavour, and I like it a lot!

In order to enjoy that first cuppa, you need to give yourself the best chance, by preparing everything that you can the night before. I personally make sure everyone has put out the next days clothes and the bags are all ready for the morning. I write lists so I don’t forget anything, I need these though more and more as my memory is so poor.

• Letting the tea go cold would spoil the enjoyment of the first cup of tea of the day for almost a third (29%) of Brits
• For a quarter of Brits (25%), attempting to drink tea that is too hot prevents a cup of tea being finished
• A quarter of Brits (26%) aren’t fully awake until they have had their first cup of tea of the day
• Almost a third of Brits (31%) said they would feel annoyed if their morning routine was disrupted and they couldn’t have a cup of tea

So Twinings sent me a mug to help with that problem of the neglected first cup.  It’s for all those occasions when things don’t go quite as planned and you get distracted. Twinings has developed the

”Forget-tea-not mug.  It lets you know when it achieves the perfect temperature by playing a tune, so no matter how distracted you are you be alerted.”  

The tune really did make me smile.  Its ‘Bing Bang Bong’ of Sophie Loren fame, and it plays through an inbuilt speaker once it hits that perfect temperature – 68 degrees centigrade, which incidentally is when the taste of Twinings English Strong breakfast is at its best.  The mug also includes a thermo ring so that the tea is held at the perfect temperature for longer, so even more reason for no more forgotten drinks that are too cold to enjoy.

Twinings – English Strong Breakfast £4.99  for 80 tea bags:

So how do you enjoy that first cup of tea of the day? Do you have any secrets to ensure you get it at the perfect temperature, or would you like a Forget Tea Not mug like mine?

This is an advertorial paid for by Twinings