Orange Pekoe replaces English Breakfast tea as best match to fry-up

Giles Hilton, the ‘nose’ of tea supplier Whittard of Chelsea, has discovered that the best brew to drink with a traditional full English fry-up is in fact not English Breakfast tea, but a cup of Sri Lankan Orange Pekoe.

As part of his ongoing quest to uncover the finest teas from around the world, and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the teabag, Hilton (pictured, right) made the discovery along with his team of ‘teanoisseurs’ at Whittards.

Unlike its name suggests, Orange Pekoe has never been near its fruity namesake, instead has a strong, clean and oak-tasting flavour. This intense flavour, Hilton claims, is punchy enough to break through the numerous flavours and fattiness of a full English breakfast, unlike the traditional ‘builders tea’ often associated with the dish.

Commenting on his findings, Hilton said: “English breakfasts should always be accompanied by a mug of steaming tea and at its best, eaten in the greasy spoon round the corner. Most often the tea served will be a blend of Kenyan, Assam and Ceylon tea but in my experience Orange Pekoe tea is the best.

“It suits the English taste for a rich, strong tasting, black tea which takes milk well. Orange Pekoe is the very best Ceylon tea. It holds its own against the bacon, egg and sausage of a fry up but does not alter the classic taste. It is important to remember that it does NOT taste of oranges!”

Grown at a medium altitude in semi-tropical Sri Lanka, Orange Pekoe takes its name from the Royal House of Orange, a mark of quality assigned by Dutch traders.

Alongside Orange Pekoe, the best teas to drink with a fry-up include Russian Caravan and Assam Large Leaf. The worst teas however were found to be Jasmine Green, Earl Grey and Mango Indica. For coffee drinkers, restaurants and pubs are advised to serve either Santos or Java with the dish.