Cafés and companies in Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Long Melford and Halesworth reveal drinks trends for International Tea Day

Today is International Tea Day.

Whether you sip Earl Grey from a China cup, a proper builder’s brew from a big mug or organic matcha from a hipster café, stick the kettle on – Suffolk’s cafés and businesses have spilled the tea on the current trends.

Faye Langton, who has run Tiffins Tearooms in Hall Street, Long Melford, for nearly nine and a half years, said: “We had 35 teas when I started running the café. Due to the trend of coffee, we narrowed it down to 18 blends of loose leaf tea. That includes our own Tiffins house blend, which mixes Darjeeling and English breakfast, and spiced chai – my personal favourite.

“Green tea is really popular at the moment. It’s probably overtaking Earl Grey now.”

Tiffins Tearooms was very traditional when Faye took over. She kept its commitment to China cups and loose leaf tea, but modernised the décor and drinks offerings.

Amanda Phillips has run Pickwicks Coffee and Tea House in Ipswich’s Dial Lane for just over a year, and agrees that green tea is on-trend at the moment.

She explained: “According to my colleagues – who have worked here a lot longer than me – the love for English Breakfast, Earl Grey and Darjeeling hasn’t changed.

“But people are also experimenting a bit more – such as with green tea and with making iced tea.

“Herbal teas are also in fashion as people are recognising the health benefits.

“My favourite traditional tea is Earl Grey, and my choice for something a bit different would be cranberry and rose green tea.”

Pickwicks currently offers 20 flavours of loose leaf tea.

Jason Salter works in marketing for Freshpac, a family-run Halesworth business that sells teas and coffees to hotels, restaurants and cafes.

He said: “The focus on where coffee is sourced and the environmental impact of its production is being reflected in tea.

“We make sure our suppliers of both tea and coffee have strong ethical credentials and all our packaging is either compostable or recyclable.”

Like Amanda, Jason suggested that health consciousness is infusing drinks choices – particularly pointing to the growing popularity of both decaffeinated tea and coffee.

He continued: “Nowadays, it’s not just about the type of tea – people are much more aware that brewing methods make a difference to flavour.

“Tea is not yet as trendy as coffee, but the interest in health benefits, the process of brewing and ethics are pushing it in the same direction.

“My go-to is breakfast tea or a nice, lightly floral jasmine green tea.”

With two tea-related jobs in Bury St Edmunds, Lauren Small should know a thing or two about tea. She works at Butterworth & Son, coffee roasters and tea sellers in Boldero Road, and Wright’s café in Cornhill.

Lauren said: “A lot of home buyers from Butterworths tend to buy fruit and herbal variations, whereas the cafe sells more Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea.

“People absolutely love English Breakfast. We sell a lot of Suffolk Special blend at Butterworths, which is an English Breakfast tea created especially for the hard water around here.

“Iced teas are also becoming a lot more popular, and people are being more creative with the flavours of iced tea they try.”

Lauren believes the wellness trend is pushing people to switch from coffee to tea earlier in the day – especially decaffeinated types.

She said: “I love Red Bush – I’m South African, so I’ve drunk a lot of it.

“My guilty pleasure is Earl Grey with milk and a bit of sugar.

“People are sometimes shocked when I say I like milk in my Earl Grey, but I’ve got such a sweet tooth and it’s a bit like a dessert.”