Soft muscatel sweetness gives way to a full-bodied, malty finish in this black tea blend, built from Darjeeling and Nilgiri leaves from India alongside Kenyan tea from East Africa. The three origins balance each other: Darjeeling brings the bright, grapey muscatel character, while Nilgiri and Kenya fill out the body and give the cup its thickness, with a touch of honeyed sweetness and a citrus lift reminiscent of lemon running underneath. Milk suits it well if you like your morning cup that way, though it stands up fine on its own too.
The blend takes its name from the Grand Hotel in Brighton, a Victorian property that has stood centre-stage on the town's famous seafront for well over a century, steeped in its own share of British history. It proved popular enough there that Tea & Coffee began offering it more widely rather than keeping it to the hotel's afternoon tea service. In 2015, The Independent named the hotel's afternoon tea one of the top 14 in the UK, a reputation it has held onto since.
An 8-oz cup carries around 45mg of caffeine, a moderate dose as black teas go. Tea & Coffee packs it fresh to order at their factory in Kent rather than holding stock. Black tea of this style has long been drunk for its antioxidants, and tradition credits it with aiding digestion, supporting the immune system, and even helping skin and metabolism, though these are old claims rather than settled fact, and no cup should be mistaken for medicine.
To brew, put the loose leaves into an infuser or filter, set it in a mug or cup, and pour over freshly boiled water. Give it three to five minutes to steep. Serve it with milk, sugar, honey or lemon, or take it black — it holds its own either way, and works as well alongside scones, cakes and sandwiches for an afternoon spread as it does in a plain morning cup.
